Combating deforestation and raising environmental awareness
One of the most important aspects of the PlayOnside programme is the educational aspect of it. Different topics, like health, leadership and environmental awareness are incorporated into the football programme. 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”, fit perfectly with the PlayOnside curriculum, and the organisation used the occasion to kick-start a fundraising campaign. By planting fruit trees around the football field, the organisation has access to healthy nutritious organic fruit all year round for their 500 players and coaches.
The goal of the even was not only to plant trees, raise awareness and to increase the self-sufficiency of the PlayOnside program, but also to bring the whole Mae Sot community together, focusing on an importont and common cause that effects us all. By brining the host- migrant- 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 for watering, maintaining, and harvesting – learing about ecological agriculture and self-sufficiency 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.
