aBOUT THE PROJECT 

Project Phetchabun is a health expedition project run by HealthEx International in partnership with RADION International. It is a 10-day medical expedition led by a team of medical students to provide medical aid and support to the Hmong people in Phetchabun, a small impoverished province in Thailand. This year, Project Phetchabun will be in its 6th year running. Ultimately, we aim to make this a sustainable, long-term project to help those in need in Phetchabun.

The team will be serving the Hmong Hill tribe in Khek Noi, a village in Phetchabun. The Hmong and Thai-born Hmong are severely marginalized by the local community and government as a result of a historical decision. Till today, they are left without basic human rights to healthcare, education and citizenship. The issue is further compounded by a lack of international bodies to aid them.

what we do

​Health screening​​​​​​
  • The team, together with the team doctors and physiotherapist,  will provide health screening for 150-200 Primary School students to pick out conditions that might affect their learning capacity and provide these group of children with the necessary interventions.
  • This includes vision or hearing defects, dental issues, motor abnormalities, heart or lung problems, infections etc.
Pharmacy packing
  • ​The team will re-organize the pharmacy and take stock of the medical drugs in preparation for the mobile clinics 
Mobile clinics (internal and external)
  • Mobile clinics will be conducted for 2 villages. They will be held internally in the RADION headquarters and in an external village.
  • The team, together with the team doctors and physiotherapist, will provide health checkups for approximately 160 villagers and provide them with the necessary medical advise and pharmacological interventions.
 ​House visitations
  • The team, together with the team doctors and physiotherapist, will go to the homes of the villagers to provide medical checkups. Often, these consist of the villagers who are not physically able to go for the mobile clinics.
Children’s education
  • Education against substance abuse and smoking through interactive learning 
  • Education on Dengue fever 
  • Education of male and female hygiene and health
  • Education of appropriate and inappropriate touch
Adults’ education
  • Education against domestic violence 
  • Provide CPR education to the Hmong villagers
  • Educate the Hmong villager on how to create a basic wrist bandage, ankle bandage, arm sling, head bandage and the Heimlich Manoeuvre  
  • Education of young women's health
  • Education of elderly health
  • Education on family health and domestic violence
Mass distribution ​
  • The team will aid in distribution food and basic necessities to the villagers 

About the team 

The team will consist of around 16 medical students, 2 doctors and 1 physiotherapist.

Programme details 

Estimated Programme Dates
The project will run between the dates of end June to August 
Programme Sample 
This was the programme for Project Phetchabun in 2019. Activities can be subjected to change to suit the needs of the Hmong villagers.
Project Location 
The project will be carried out in Khek Noi, a small province in Phetchabun Thailand.
Accommodations
The team will be living within the village in the well developed RADION international volunteer shelter 
Facilities
  • ​All meals provided 
  • Laundry
  • Shower heaters available 
  • WIFI available on RADION campus​ 

About the hmong tribe

About our partner ngo - radion international 

Overview 
RADION International is a Christian relief and development agency founded by Eugene Wee. This organization is dedicated to serving the most vulnerable and marginalised communities, by empowering them to overcome poverty and oppression. RADION stands for RADIATING MISSION. 

RADION's Mission 
RADION International’s mission is to reach oppressed and needy communities through practical actions, allowing their actions to stand as witness to God’s love for the people.
​
RADION's Vision
RADION International’s vision is to be the catalyst for change within communities, transforming broken lives so they can in turn touch others.

RADION's Goals
RADION International’s goal to radiate love and care to the ones who need them most. Not only through words but more importantly through practical actions.

RADION's Motto
“Every Life Matters”

RADION's Belief 
They believe ...
  • That lives are precious
  • In making a difference in people’s lives
  • In bringing hope to the hopeless
  • That actions speak louder than words

RADION's awards and recognition 
  1. Organisation in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC)
  2. Awarded : Outstanding Brands (Not-For-Profit) by BrandAlliance

For more information click below:

pHOTO GALLERY 

pROJECT VIDEO

tESTIMONIALS 

Darolyn Tan (Leader of Project Phetchabun 2017)
Seeing and experiencing medicine being practiced in a rural setting has opened my eyes to the utmost importance of personal touch in the doctor-patient interaction. In medical school and in hospitals, it is convenient to look at patients as just a myraid of signs and symptoms, but what I have realised is that truly understanding them makes a world of difference – just a few minutes more would do!

I constantly asked myself: “How many lives have I impacted?”, and I found comfort knowing that although we may have difficulty treating their diseases and illnesses, our humanity and service can help them to maybe an even greater extent. Service, not just through treatment but also through interaction. A few words of encouragement or a comforting hand might be the critical boost a patient needs to tide him/her through an illness. As someone once said, “To cure sometimes, to comfort always.”
Charmaine Ng (Mobile clinic I/C of Project Phetchabun 2017)
Going on this medical expedition trip was one of the highlights of my summer. We learnt so much from one another and encountered many situations that moved us deeply. It was an incredible experience to run a mobile clinic and to learn the importance of educating the community. During our trip, we spoke about the repercussions of domestic violence in one of our teaching sessions. Amongst the Hmong community, domestic violence is normalized and the women are often abused by their husbands, fathers and brothers. During our presentation, it is easy to see how personal this topic was for many of the people. Teaching the women that they too have a voice and can seek help from RADION gave them an alternative to suffering in silence. We also gave tutorials on basic first aid. It may not be as important in our home countries, but here in Phetchabun where the nearest hospital is 2 hours away, knowing basic first aid could save someone life or prevent permanent disability. It never occurred to me the that my actions as a 20 year old could have any significant impact on a group of people. I'm immensely blessed to have a great team and share this experience with them. It made me believe that if enough like-minded and dedicated people work together, we could achieve a lot and make a difference."

Funding 

Please refer to our Donate page for more information

Social media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectphetchabun18
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectphetchabun2019/ 

PROJECT PHETCHABUN 2020

Due to COVID-19, although we could not go to Phetchabun this year, we decided to collaborate with AWARE Singapore to help women facing increased domestic abuse during lockdown. We aimed to raise awareness regarding women’s health and rights in Singapore through infographics and fundraisers.

We raised funds for AWARE’s services such as counselling, providing affordable housing and call lines for victims of sexual harassment and domestic violence. During lockdown, there was a spike in domestic abuse cases, leading to an increased demand for these service.

Through our bake sale and collaborative fitness classes, we managed to raise a total of SGD $12 000 for AWARE Singapore. This the highest amount any non-business entity has raised for the NGO!

social media 

rEFLECTIONS

" The support was immense and while it was rewarding raising funds for the good work of AWARE involving vulnerable women, what made me most glad was knowing for a fact that we brought some comfort and empowerment to women who have suffered in situations we were raising awareness about. Some shared a short message about why they were donating to AWARE, others we knew personally explained their reasons to us. 

I felt a strong sense of solidarity, particularly among women – those who’ve been there before wanting to reach out to those suffering now. "

-Dawn,
​Team Leader in 2020

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