Peace Ball ActionThailand

PlayOnside program. Daiki also got to see the PlayOnside sport center he helped financing, and got to visit several schools and learning centers in the area

We are very grateful for the longterm support Peace Ball Action is showing to the PlayOnside program, and are looking forward to his annual visits to Mae Sot, and for him to take part of the development of our organization in the future.

Mae Sot Tree Planting Project

One of the most important aspects of the PlayOnside program is the educational aspect of it Different topics, like health, leadership and environmental awareness are incorporated into the football program. This way, football functions as a tool for empowerment, knowledge and awareness.

Hence, the main theme of Earth Day 2017 of “Environmental and Climate Literacy”, fitted perfectly with the PlayOnside curriculum, and we used the occasion to kick-start a fundraising campaign to raise money making our football field a green oasis

With access to an abundance of our own healthy and nutritious fruits, for years to come, the sustainability of the program increases.

By planting fruit trees around the football field, we have access to healthy, nutritious and organic fruit all year round. The goal of the event was not merely to plant trees, raise awareness and to increase the selfsufficiency of the PlayOnside program, but also to bring the whole Mae Sot community together, focusing on an important and common cause that affects us all. By bringing the hostmigrant- and expatriate communities together, we can learn more about each other and understand the different challenges we face.

For PlayOnside, the educational aspect of this event was very important. The children participating in the PlayOnside program are now responsible for watering, maintaining, and harvesting – learning about ecological agriculture and selfsufficiency by participating themselves, and gaining ownership to the trees. We can use the fruits of the trees to continue to focus on healthy food, and the positive benefits of a balanced diet.

The surroundings of the field are harsh and barren. In the hot season, the area is dry and inhospitable. In the rainy season, surface water makes the floods the area, risking soil erosion.

The fruit trees will function as a natural filter rapidly absorbing surface water, and are well adapted to survive the drier periods. The shades of the trees will be a welcome escape for the children waiting, eagerly anticipating the next match.

Another relevant educational topic is deforestation Deforestation is a serious problem in South-East Asia. According to a report on Thailand from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 43% of forests were lost between 1973 and 2009

The northern regions are at a greater risk of deforestation due to lack of government regulation over resource extraction. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, there has been a movement of environmentally conscious advocates pushing forward a national agenda of forest rehabilitation to preserve and restore forests. By planting trees, having discussion groups of the positive environmental effect trees have, PlayOnside hope to create environmental awareness and engagement for new generations