“ Supanimit Foundation teaches and instills in us the knowledge of sharing, grouping together to do activities and exchange knowledge, which not only changes families and communities to have better jobs, income, and living conditions, but also changes the minds and mindsets of people in the community to live together happily and be good people,” said Mrs. Madi Suwanpan or Aunt Jas of the children in the Saplueng community, a former family of children under the care of the children, a volunteer of Supanimit Foundation, and a member of the Supanimit Agricultural Cooperative in honor of His Majesty the King, happily speaking.
The Sa Pleng community in Chaloem Phra Kiat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province is a community with a low-lying landscape, which makes it prone to natural disasters such as flooding. There is also the problem of flooding almost every year. The soil that the villagers use for rice farming, farming and vegetable planting is acidic and plants do not grow well. These factors cause many families in the community to fall into difficult circumstances.
For many years, the Subhanimit Foundation has been working in this community with the aim of ensuring that children live well, families are happy, and the community can be self-reliant. The establishment of savings groups and career groups is one of the approaches to developing and solving poverty problems.
“For 23 years, the cooperative and the Supanimit Foundation have worked together in the area. The cooperative has helped with revolving funds for children’s families, both in terms of running a credit business and finding products to sell. In addition, the cooperative also provides welfare by allocating a budget to support scholarships for students. When the occupational groups have products, the cooperative also helps find markets to support the members’ products,” said Mrs. Latdawan Srisang, manager of the Supanimit Agricultural Cooperative.
From the beginning with the aim to create careers and additional income for the families of children in care, this development has expanded into savings groups and various occupational groups, such as groups of farmers raising pigs, ducks, chickens, fish, including groups of farmers growing organic vegetables, and groups of agricultural product processing, such as processing fish in nets (southern fermented fish). These cooperation and developments have led to the establishment of the Supanimit Agricultural Cooperative, Chaloem Phrakiat Limited, which is stable and sustainable.
Mrs. Madi Suwanpan added, “Having a cooperative makes us feel that we can rely on ourselves. When we encounter problems and need capital, we have a source of capital that we can rely on. The cooperative and the Supanimit Foundation have helped my family and others in the community, giving us the opportunity to develop ourselves, have a career, and have income. My pig-raising career has generated income that has allowed my two children to finish their bachelor’s degrees. These resources and assistance have improved my family’s financial status and quality of life.”
“I would like to thank the sponsors and the Supanimit Foundation for seeing the importance of children’s education, health, and careers for the children’s families. On behalf of the Supanimit Cooperative, Chalermprakiat Limited, I would like to thank the families of the children under my care and everyone in the Sara Phleng community,” said Mrs. Latdawan Srisang.
The Supanimit Agricultural Cooperative Limited in honor of His Majesty the King, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, is an example that demonstrates the importance of cooperatives for economic and social development. Starting with only 195 members in 2001, the company now has 1,389 members. It also has operating capital of over 40 million baht. The cooperative is also a place of reliance and a center for people in the community, who can work together to achieve success and create sustainability for everyone in the community with pride.
