Mining and Sustainable Model: Ban Boon Kham and Non Som Boon

 We returned to Ban Non Somboon to listen to some personal stories regarding the relationship between the communities and mining multinational corporations (MNCs). After The interviews with two men (villagers who also work in mining industry), we can confirm that their concerns regarding the future of the village and their job security are prominent. Since this village is not very large, the residents also ponder alternative jobs such as service work in Savannakhet town. Still, most people may need to stay in the village and never want to be in another town where they are not familiar with.

                                                    Ban Non Som Boon

 From this point, our concern is the future of Vilabouly. We need to know more about the plan of Vilabouly residents and other stakeholders such as mining MNCs, the Governmental body, women groups and youth groups. One point that we learn from most interview is an option on agricultural and farming skills can be one potential solution. To understand this issue, we organize to visit mae Saipon from Ban Boong Kham and seek to understand her sustainable model.
  

                                Mae and her farm in the mining community

We arrived Ban Boon Kham in the morning and visited her Hydroponic farm and agricultural business. Mae told us that she was interested in working in the mining industry but the opportunity was not there for her. Women can only do certain things in mining industry and she had no interests in those jobs. She has always been interested in business. One day, she was part of the tour to Vientiane and had an opportunity to visit a hydroponic farm there. It was the day she saw potential business with the mining industry. What next?  She contacted the company and informed them that she needs to set up a modern vegetable farm and supply her products to the company. It’s not only for her but for the village. MMG agreed with the idea and employed an agricultural expert to teach her village on how to run hydroponic farm. Unfortunately, she was the only person who attended and successfully completed the training.
 

                                                 Hydroponic 'Salad' 

The company also suggested her to work with other 14 representatives from different villages to be the key suppliers for fresh food for the company. In forming this group, she can also buy vegetables and fruit from the community and resale them to the company. The relationship between her and mining MNCs has been really strong. In her own terms “mining company has endless needs for food.”

                                                                Her Pig Farm

                                                                Poultry Farm

We learnt from her that not all villagers are interested in this business for a number of reasons such as not access to funds, not understanding of the business model, and lack of connections to the suppliers and understanding of markets. She has agreed that mining MNCs can co-ordinate their efforts with someone like her and the leaders of the community to support villagers to live sustainable life, regardless of income from mining industry.
 I left her farm with some feelings when I think about the future of the industry and the village.