The Thai Karen face particular problems in this modern world which increasingly requires them to have a cash income source. Without cash their children can not have the uniforms and books necessary to attend school. Without cash they can not get to secondary schools far from their remote villages. Without cash many necessities of life can not be purchased, unless by barter trade. Over the years the Foundation has assisted in many different ways to alleviate this problem. These ways have included:

• coffee tree planting and extension training
• mushroom growing and marketing
• handicraft production, marketing and sales
• establishment of road-side sales outlets
• establishment of tourist-oriented business

Recently we have started to provide micro-credit to selected villagers in a piloy project inside Doi Inthanon National Park, southwest of Chiangmai. If this proves to be successful, we hope to expand micro-credit to other villages in the coming years. Our interest rate is 5% per annum, compared to the usurious minimum 60% from local "middle men".

We have several other projects in the conceptual stage, including transportation and eco-tourism, but these will require much more major funding and specific management skills and experience, all of which will have to be sourced from outside our usual support channels.