Throughout 2014, the Community-based Waste Management has continued successfully. During the last quarter of 2014, among main activities, a training was organized on October 17, to raise awareness of the 3R (Reduce, reuse and recycle) theory among 45 children and youth. Then these young trainees were introduced to do campaign through drawing and paintings about how community and household can contribute to waste management. Then paintings would be placed in schools, offices and other public areas. The training has achieved the awareness raising as children who participated in the training were happy to use their talent in drawing and painting to creatively convey the message of environmental conservation and waste management. After the training, these paintings would be placed in public areas such as schools and offices to raise awareness of community members when they see the campaign pictures to cooperate in waste management and campaign, such as putting garbage in waste bins, gather waste and place at collection points provided, reducing and recycling waste by turning their used containers into pots for growing vegetables and flowers; making artificial flowers from used bottles and materials, etc.

Later, on October 27th, a capacity training was held to provide refugee staff, including the new staff, to be aware of waste management, especially “the theory of 3R before disposing”; to be prepared for the community visit and disseminate the environmental friendly household awareness; and realize roles and responsibilities in convincing community members of keeping the environment cleaner and safer by reducing, reusing and recycling procedure.

During November, there was a Clean-up day organized on November 13 at Thai village near Mae La camp, with 100 refugee youth participants

The next day, November 14, there was a waste campaign and clean-up organized at the area near school and boarding house and along the bank of the stream in Mae La Zone C, with participation of 85 refugee students.

Cleaning treatment pond and replacing the old and dying Cattail for waste water treatment purpose so the new plants can grow and treat waste water in the next rainy season

In December, COERR provided 3 garbage bins, 1 big water bucket with cover, 10 coconut leaf-brooms and 10 grass-brooms to the Ban Mae La Thai Sub-district Administration Officer to support their waste management task.

Karen Environment Group and COERR Program officer visited houses in the Environmental-friendly Household program and trained the residents the theory of “3R before disposing”

Waste Management in Mae La Camp including garbage collection, sorting and incineration continue efficiently