I. The project was visited on 9 December 2005. The findings and observations are as follows:

One of the three target villages, Baan (village) Khlong Tha Miang was visited. Target population was a women farmers? group who produced heated bananas for sale to generate supplementary income during off-season. Since, the grantee possesses expertise in renewable energy technology and has been closely interacting with the group for about two years , a certain degree of environment/energy capacity of the group was sensed. In the interaction with the group, the NC shared a message through a VCD just produced by its contemporaneous GEF/SGP (THA-04-06/ Replicated Rice Milling by Water Power).

The group had been producing about 50 kg./day of heated bananas to local market using two sets of used solar heater donated by the local Naresuan University and an LPG-fired dryer by the Department of Agricultural Extension. The increasing demand of heated bananas prompted the group to search for a more efficient heater of solar-biomass hybrid type and a way to reduce burning the LPG in drying and bacteria killing process through gasification. Both solar-biomass heater and gasifier were under fabrication. December 25-26 , 2005 was set to be the completion date.

Two premises which were to be allotted as learning places of the projects were also visited. Solar lighting , efficient charcoal producing kilns were seen in operation. But biodiesel was in a preparing stage.

Members of the group were expecting the reduction of LPG use and a more efficient production process. The group got the license ? One Tambol One Product? from the Thai government. In addition, the Chainam Tambol Administrative Organization contributed financially about Baht: 150,000 to the group.

Somehow, the group was required to gain more insight on and begin to seriously practice the Royal Initiative?s Self-sufficient Economy, even though it demonstrated capacity on marketing and renewable energy application.

II. The progress report was received on January 11,2006 with the following details:

Activities to be carried out under project:

1.Launching training, open forum, survey of energy use and its implication and new energy source, study tours
2.Formulating Energy Plan
3. Building 3 hybrid solar-biomass dryers , 15 charcoal-producing kilns and learning centres for organic farming , solar cells and low-speed engine (coconut oil)

Immediate outputs/results

1.Targeted population understanding project process and renewable energy better and putting into practice what had been learnt from seminars and study tours
2. Acquired information and data on energy uses as well as other community expense (agriculture) with relation to environmental problem

Project communication:
1. As a resources person at Thammsart University on ? Self-reliance on Renewable Energy?
2. A website was under creation

III. The project participated in the mid-course evaluation workshop of Thailand-Year-6 GEF/SGP , organized on 25-27 January 2006 . It was one of 27 projects sending project leaders or representatives to report to the workshop on progress of activities, immediate outputs/results that could be witnessed or observed, problems / issues and solution.

With only a few exception, majority of projects concisely reported progress and summarized immediate outputs and results. The report format included from power point to photos to dissemination materials, and to verbal presentation. There was one project bringing product of chemical-free vegetable for sale and show at the venue.

All presentations mentioned about problems and issues, with varying degree, but they had been corrected or rectified. Or at least, the project possessed idea or approach to do so. However, there were a few projects that presented problems and hot issues on environment soliciting further discussion and advice from participants.

On the final day, participants spent half-an-hour sharing idea on forging future networking of the year-6 projects and submitted approach for sustainability. Majority of participants agreed to be tied by natural network, without any regulation or commitment, but hearts and minds. There were two members pledging their times and skill to help others according to their availability.

As a reminder and incentives to ensure most effective implementation of remaining activities, the NC proposed the idea of strategic project where successful SGP projects could gather together so that community actions affecting global benefits would be clearer.

The workshop had seen substantial sharing of experience, especially on related issues of project activities. Somehow, it was felt that the remaining activities would be carried out to their completion. Another evidence, a natural network of environment was formed with a lot of participants winning one another hearts.

III. The completion report was received on December 6, 2007, with following details:

Undertaken Activities:

1.Launching training, open forum, survey of energy use and its implication and new energy source, study tours
2.Formulating Energy Plan
3.Building one hybrid solar-biomass dryers , 26 charcoal-producing kilns and learning centres for organic farming , solar cells and low-speed engine (using biodiesel from Jetropha)

Results:

1. Evinced increased awareness and capacity of target population being able to define mission in each project location and record household energy use
2. Emergence of a learning network for community with increased capacity to access additional Baht: 60,000 from the Centre for Ethnic Development and Baht: 150,000 from Chainam Tambol Administrative Organization
3. More community members paying attention on charcoal-producing kiln and tending to use them for saving energy and related expense
4. The hybrid solar-biomass heater capable of saving canned gas and electricity more than 50 % , with additional income/month
5. An area of about seven acre being grown with Jetropha while bio-diesel station being planned to establish in the following year
6. Cultivated area of 10 ha being tried with organic compost in 10 families

Project Communication:

1. On July 2007, the minister of energy visited Women Agri-product Processing group at Baan (village) Tha Pong ,one of the target population. The minister hinted to promote the upgrading standard of production and assigned the Energy College of Naresuan University to play the leading role.
2. The Energy College produced VCD to disseminate activities of the women group in Baan Tha Pong.
3. The story about youth-for-sufficiency camp appeared in the Matichon newspaper on June 13, 2007

Participatory Evaluation: Conducted on October 20, 2007
Participants: 48 persons from the grantee, women?s group, farmer?s group and leaders from
community schools
Methods: Open forum to discuss and share experience on results of activities
Impact: The project had contributed to raising awareness of communities prompting actions to
cope with their own consumption patterns. The actions stressed on campaign using the
community learning centre as the main facility. Holistic approach was applied in
livelihood and learning process in schools. The campaign resulted in an inception of a
public learning network which later gained financial supports from two Tambol
Administrative Organizations in the location and one national donors ( Thai Health
Promotion Foundation)

Future Plan: The emerging public learning network would be the main driving force to reach out
and scale up the consumption patterns to wider population. The sufficiency theory
would be used as the essence.