I. First progress report (May 26, 2008):
Activities undertaken:
1. Reconfirming project plan , activities and results
2. Capacity building of target population
3. Collecting and compiling native species

Results of activities:
1. Evinced increased capacity of project members witnessed through active participation and topics of discussion put forward
2. Owing to the demand of existing market system, project members still depend upon chemical substances for cash crops, but as to planting crops for household consumption and native species, chemical substances were replaced by organic compost
3. Crops for consumption ( lettuce) were grown more, in and integrated manner and to supply demand of a whole year.
4. 60 native (Akkha) species being collected for further reproduction and conservation

Project expense: THB 109,595 out of first disbursement of THB 117,820.

Project Communication:
The project was made more visible through the following events:
1. The ? Fah Doi? Magazine , May 2007 issue, published by the Association for Akha Education and Culture in Thailand
2. On September 5 and 9 , 2007 , the project participated in two annual traditional events ? Harvesting Ceremony?

Experience ,Lessons Learnt and Emerging Issues:
The report referred to difficulty in travelling into target villages in rainy days being solved by being more selective, and to value on cash crops and its close relative ? chemical substances being solved by providing more education.

II. Monitoring visit by the NC (November 13, 2008):
Findings and observation:
Mae Far Luang District?s Baan (village) Saenjai Phatthana, one of the two participating villages, is home for over 100 families of a cultural group ?Akha? , who traditionally dwell in highland area. It is situated in a neighbourhood of Mae Far Luang National Park in Thailand national border ,included in Indo-Chinese sub-regions of the world?s Biogeography and constituting a watershed of Mekong River. By and large, cultivated land is comparatively small, target population grows native rice and other species for consumption, in addition to provisions from the ecosystems. Selected cash crops are grown for income.

A brief visit and conversation with seven project members confirmed , to a certain degree favourable results of project activities. Each premises allocates a plot or two of about 20-30 square meters for growing edible and medicinal species endemic to the location. Several members exhibited their acquaintance with both big and small plants-what their names and medicinal/nutritious quality were. Families were said to have sufficient vegetable to consume all-year-round , with traditional bartering system still in place. One proposed idea to add income for project members was to establish a community market where members would offer their surplus from the plots for sale. However, some members perceived such a market would put an end to the harmonious bartering system in which many still believe.

Technical capacity of the group was increased through learning from other traditions and practices (especially, from low-land northern farmers and Thai traditional medicine). Experience and knowledge from these various sources have been blended in successfully and put into virtual use.

The village was also one of the three locations of Akha-Hani Alternative Medicine Centre in Chiangrai Province. With area of about three ha, this centre provides learning and sharing on plants of medicinal values and traditional medical service. Two plots were observed to be full of species of medicinal and nutritious value. Outputs from plots of project members and from nearby community forest are also being supplied to the centre for processing into medical and treatment products.

Some ecological provisions and the centre were the impacts of a back GEF SGP project (THA-01-07/ Development of Kham Basin for Rehabilitation of Natural Resources by Hilltribe Cultural Approach) which saw its completion in 2003, and two subsequent projects of SGP PTF and the Thailand Research Fund. These two major stakeholders contributed to an initial demarcation and conservation of community forest of approximately 2,080 ha, and habitats for over 1,000 species of medicinal value for learning.

Since the location of this current SGP project is included in an area where original habitats remaining is 21-39 % , successful conservation of forest and gained experience would support a regional conservation and sustainable use effort with neighbouring countries. Currently, there are estimated 220,000 Akha population in Union of Myanmar, 400,000 in Lao PDR, 20,000Vietnam, 100,000 in Thailand and 1,500,000 in China, in addition to several millions from other groups who share the provisions of this ecosystems.

III. Second progress report (January 27, 2009):
Activities undertaken:
1. Keeping on capacity building of target population on production of ionic plasma and bio-fertilzer
2. Keeping on collecting and compiling native species
3. Reproducing & planting native species

Results of activities:

1. Evinced increased capacity of project members witnessed through active participation and topics for discussion put forward
2. Some members aggressively putting into practice what had been learnt resulting in surplus amount of bio-fertilizer for sales to non-project members
3. Species of nutritious and medicinal value being grown more, in and integrated manner and to supply demand of a whole year.
4. 40 more of native (Akkha) species being collected for further reproduction and conservation making now 100 species under collection and reproduction

Project expense:
THB: 212,343 out of the sum of two disbursements of THB: 225, 661.04

Project Communication:
The project was made more visible through the National Central Internal Security Radio, aired in Akkha Language since May 2008.

Experience ,Lessons Learnt and Emerging Issues:
The same issues as in the first report was mentioned. But education on first aids to cope with chemical effect in body was to be launched.

b>IV. Mid-course evaluation workdhop (March 20-21, 2009)
Findings and observation:
Together with representatives from other projects of the same grant cycle (from THA/06/13 to THA/06/28), and SGP country team, the project participate in the workshop to update progress , share experience and initiate a network. It was agreed that each project would keep on contacting one another and sharing experience. Contacting addresses were distributed with one project as the coordinating centre for future activities. An NSC member who represented the National Environment Fund was also committed to help in keeping the network.