Going strong
Mechai was born in Australia in 1941 by a Scottish mother and a Thai father. He was in Geelong Grammar School and later went to Thailand for the government, where he served as Senator and Minister 's Office of the Prime Minister served twice work. He also served as government spokesman, Deputy Minister of Industry, Governor of the Province of water, and President of Krung Thai Bank Public Company Ltd and the phoneOrganisation of Thailand. He was also Ambassador of UNAIDS in 1999, appointed.
At the age of 66, his relentless passion for their cause is still strong. In this session Mechai, it is a feeling of heat on that is interested in other people, and it shows through his work. It is clear that the values of his team, who through their extraordinary effort, won numerous awards for PDAs. Many employees have PDAs that were originally in the formation of more than 30 years, now occupy leadership positions,and their loyalty was rewarded by the attainment of the common. Are clearly not motivated by money but by the wonderful work they do.
An Asian heroes
It is easy to see why Time Magazine listed Mechai as an "Asian Hero" alongside Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. However, it is not his intention to a bright star – even if the attraction is created, has been published on Bloomberg and CNN for Asia. TheBill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently announced that the 2007 Gates Award for Global PDA Health won in recognition of his pioneering work. PDA and its leaders have been recognized by various organizations for their work in the sustainable, systemic change in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Two of her programs were recognized as best practice by UNAIDS, highlighting the success of the PDA pioneer in family planning and HIV / AIDS and in the field ofEnter change attitudes and behavior and services for the rural poor.
Lives saved
Representatives from some 50 countries have visited Thailand to learn from the successes PDA through its international training branch. The World Bank has praised the vital contribution of PDA in November 2005 estimated that seven million lives have been saved designed by HIV / AIDS public awareness and intensive prevention program andPublic through the PDA.
The PDA was established as an NGO, to complement and promote the efforts of the Thai government for family planning in Thailand. Its members recruited and trained villagers to give information about family planning. This network includes more than one third of the country, a significant contribution to reducing the rate of annual population growth.
After addressing the immediate needs of family planning, PDA has expanded its activitiesprimary health care, education, HIV / AIDS and prevention, the development of water resources and sanitation, incomegeneration, environmental protection, promotion of small rural programs, gender equality, youth development and the promotion of democracy. His recent activities have to the tsunami-social, economic and environmental recovery of tsunami-affected villages and the creation of banks of the carbon with the PATT Foundation.
PartnerThe planners and managers
Today is the first PDA and most diversified NGO in Thailand, employs over 800 staff and works with more than 12,000 volunteers, with 18 regional development centers and offices in 15 provinces in rural Thailand. PDA is a pioneer in the attempt of a sustainable basis, through the extension of village participation not only as recipients, but marked as partners, designers, managers and executives have been. The programs are based is based on the belief that localPeople are better suited for equal partners in the development and maintenance of their development. Thirty-one years of commitment PDAs have significant change in the following areas: – Health, AIDS and family planning – income and poverty – micro-credit to rural people – Water and Environment – youth as agents of change and today creates tomorrow's leaders – education and nutrition – Corporate Social Responsibility – Rescue – Asian Centre for Population and CommunityDevelopment NGOs – Sustainability
Innovative financing
As a pioneer in social enterprise, it is not surprising that Mechai has his own views on donations. More than three decades ago, said that would survive the PDA is not able, solely through grants. She had to innovate in order to fund that resonates in the work we do today, and that the resources that can generate them. From an initial contribution of $ 65,000 established for the creation of the PDA, 18 companies have to offerFunds for their organization in local development. This Mechai recognizes that the key was to develop to their success – people who need help themselves out of poverty and work in their communities. Two of these companies, but instead see this as a defeat, turned into an intelligent learning experience: the central message of the work, not harder! Kohl's Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok offers and "free" condoms, and all profits areIf the PDA for their programs. They have also created a chain of hotels across the same name and the subject to life.
Carbon Free
It was assumed that innovation in the development of the Foundation Patt Mechai Carbon free program with financial support from the XL Results Foundation. The partnership was a cooperative bank in every village, which is funded by the number of trees planted and kept alive for the duration of mortality. WithBanking Committee is female, 50 percent, addresses gender equality not only helps, but to create
Microfinance and sustainability through low-interest loans they offer to SMEs in the start village. This factor contributes to the eradication of poverty, but at the same time, the trees are fighting a different problem in the world – climate change and reforestation.
Education for needy
Mechai has no intention of slowing down – in fact, quite the contrary, he loves what he doesalthough this does not work for him. If most are planning their next round of golf, Mechai questions about the means to procure in order to continue their studies in the years after one of its primary schools in the rural areas of northern Thailand. This school was founded to higher levels of education by low participation rates, provide that previously existed. It awards scholarships to needy students and offer the opportunity to himself out of poverty by the school as education.Thesuccessful as his first students are now reaching the secondary stage, continue with no place in close proximity to their tutors to the required level. The program is a victim of its own success – but a good problem to have, which is certainly not the solution to the PDA.
Facilities for the preparation
A recent decision by a large manufacturer of sports shoes, left to move to China for a more favorable business climate has the PDA with another big problem. We must find an answerWay to fill the emptiness of society has created that supports the production of shoes, but the controls are no more. More than 3,000 people were in despair as the high-gain Multi-National Hunt please the shareholders. So, now the PDA has production facilities in cheap labor in place for any social entrepreneur to enjoy.
Mechai believes that social enterprise is instrumental in pursuing the eradication of the dilemma of the world against. Governmentscan not do it alone, but knows that NGOs not to survive in the prospectus and the goodwill of volunteers, they have to act as a company in an increasingly competitive market and continue the excellent work they do. Ways need to work together to find common goals rather than competition for dollars.
Social entrepreneurs are looking for a partner in Asia who can work in different industries have to look far beyond the PDA, to forge a strong partnership.
