Population+and+Community+Development+Association+(PDA)

=Population and Community Development Association=

[[image:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cYKT7BNVVCg/UJEdpi63C9I/AAAAAAAAACo/lmLUGpwMViE/s1600/pda_logo2.jpg width="243" align="right"]]
**NGO Representatives:**

Jongseung Baek and (yes) Adam Braver

Yo, I can't believe this is called PDA <3 Daisy
-Thanks.

[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Mechai_Viravaidya_2008.jpg width="435" height="243"]]
Founder of this organization. Preventing HIV/AIDS Epidemic Since 1974

Overview
The ** Population and Community Development Association ** (PDA) is a non-governmental organization in Thailand. Its original goal wass to reduce poverty through both development initiatives and family planning programs. However, as the organization became largest NGO in Thaliand, its goals branched out into prevention of HIV/AIDS prevention, Tsunami relief, micro-credit, clean water, democacy, conservation of natural resources, and education. Also NGO created separate NGO called PDI( Population and Community Development International) to send its mission abroad.

Mission
The original mission of the Population and Community Association was to supplement the efforts of the Thai government to reduce poverty by promoting family planning. To accomplish this, the PDA has focused on targeting remote rural communities where government outreach has not been viable. Realizing that a high population growth rate is a barrier to economic development, the PDA's focus has been on implementing family planning programs to lower the population growth rate. It has sought to do so through community-based, participatory approaches to educate and empower village residents. Since its inception, the program mission has expanded to include rural development and the improvement of overall health conditions. Engaging in a "people-centered approach," the PDA has worked to empower communities to identify its own needs and then work to improve conditions based on those needs - a form of self-help. Today, the PDA works to address a multitude of issues that affect poverty levels. Some of these activities include: health care, HIV/AIDS services and awareness, access to clean water resources, reliable means of income, environmental conservation, gender equality , youth education and services, democratic engagement, and small-scale business initiatives, including village owned banks providing micro-credit loans.

NGO "Bottom Line": How We Make an Impact
Efforts to make condoms more accessible & remove the stigma associated with them, like Encouraging vasectomies by Increasing the availability of birth control pills Educating the population about HIV/AIDS Encouraging development
 * Holding condom balloon blowing competitions
 * Creating a Captain Condom mascot
 * Making condoms available at associated Cabbages & Condoms restaurants in lieu of mints
 * Educating children in school
 * Having Buddhist monks sprinkle holy water on condoms
 * Overseeing a "Condom is the Girl's Best Friend" campaign
 * Having policy officers distribute condoms in a "Cops and Rubbers" program
 * Making donations into a community fund for every vasectomy performed
 * Holding a vasectomy lunch for Americans in Thailand
 * By utilizing floating markets to provide contraceptives/birth control pill
 * By training of local shopkeepers to prescribe birth control pill
 * By using of military radio stations
 * By making micro-loans available to general villagers at relatively low interest rates, especially for villages that use contraceptives
 * By creating village banks operated by (mostly) women within the village community

Global Outreach
PDA established PDI as a separate organization to have a global outreach, especially to neighboring Asian nations to do PDA's mission across the globe.

[|PDI, Population and Development International]

NGO Job Openings: Who, Why, Where, When, and for How Much?
Today, PDA is the leading and most diversified NGO in Thailand, employing over 800 staff members and working with over 12,000 volunteers. PDA has 18 regional development centers and branch offices located across 15 provinces in rural Thailand. It also manages operation of the Lamplaimat-Pattana Primary and Secondary Schools, which is revolutionary, private education for the poor. http://www.mechaifoundation.org/mechai_vols.asp

Who?
We are looking for a volunteers and interns with an innovative and open-minded personality, good team working skills and patience. Multicultural communication skills are also very important as the intern will be working with Thai teachers, staff, parents and community leaders who have limited English skills.

Why?
To help nations such as Thaliand to have a sustainable development.

Where/When/How Much ?
Opportunities are limited. I have not yet recieved email from the director in charge of volunteer.

From TED talk from Mr.Mechai Viravaidya, NGO's job is to make condoms be part of the social norm, by making it fun and accessible.

=Pictures=







Why You Should Join Us...
It may seem like I am highlighting the family planning and STD prevention, as I know that those are the topics that would most definitely catch your attention. However, PDA do more than that. PDA helps sustainable economy by not only micro-finanincing, but also teaching the loaners how to make money off from those loans.



Our NGO Website:
[|PDA Web]

Cite Your Sources
[|PDA wikipedia]

[|PDA Web]

[|PDA partners]