(Green Health) Role of Woman in Using Technology for Health Care and Sustainable Development Project

Role of Woman in Using Technology for Health Care and Sustainable Development Project is jointly operated by Office of Research and Office of Special Activities, Chulabhorn Research Institute, with a budget subsidy from UNDP. At the initial stage, it is a pilot project serving as a guideline for developing knowledge and educate about medcinal herbs to villagers in Red Sapphire 05 Village, Sa Kaeo Province, and nearby area.

The main objectives of the Project are (a) to develop the villager’s life quality and promote supplementary household income in addition to their main occupation, (b) to encourage them to gain knowledge about agriculture and appropriate use of medicinal herbs, © to encourage those who join the project to have a basic knowledge about growing chemical-free medicinal herbs by using GAP(Good Agrotechnology Practices), and (d) to encourage them to have a basic knowledge about keeping a balance account and simple monetary management, in order to form group and set up cooperative.

The operation began by studying type of medicinal herbs with qualities and characteristics suitable to the environment of the project area, in conjunction with market demand. The villagers can use the hervs they grow for cooking and for treating illnesses. When the yields increase, they can develop the cultivation of herbs into a sustainable occupation.

At present three kind of medicinal herbs are grown: khamin chan (Curcuma longa), fa Thalai chon (Andrographis paniculata), and plai (Zingziber cassumunar) Other Plants, such as sword bean, mung vean, sesame, and chilli are also grown to supplement incomes and improve the soil. Local technology is adapted to be used with modern technology, resulting in production cost reduction in terms of labor and time. The villagers joining the project are able to do all the operation activiteds themselves, starting from cultivating, maintaining, and harvesting, to processing and packaging – whereas Chulabhorn Research Institute provides support with budget, academic knowledge, sample analysis, main substance research, and quality control.

khamin chan	fa Thalai chon	plai

In the future, the farming plot will be expanded, with more varieties of herb species to reduce marketing risk. Medicinal herbs with high potential will be acquired, and the scope and number of villagers interested will be expanded to nearby villages.