KTC organizes the 3rd year of “Education for Self Empowerment and Sustainable Growth” project online to pass on sufficiency farming methods to the hearing impaired.

KTC joins forces with Thungmahamek School for the Deaf and Nonthaburi School for the Deaf to further the 3rd year of “Education for Self Empowerment and Sustainable Growth”project, supporting Thai youth with hearing impairment to develop their potential for self-reliance. KTC and the organizations will achieve this with the tripartite knowledge sharing concept, establish a knowledge network from one generation to the next, adjust online learning plans via Zoom system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and teach courses that go hand in hand with 5 occupational groups according to the strategy of the Ministry of Education to create long-term sustainability in society.

Mrs. Sudpratana Damrongchaitham, Vice President - Human Resources, “KTC” or Krungthai Card Public Company Limited, states, “as a result of the situation of the COVID-19 virus that spread more severely, KTC has adjusted the teaching and learning plan of the 3rd year of ‘Education for Self Empowerment and Sustainable Growth’ project to an online format, including video recordings via the school’s channels. By using the curriculum and continuing the idea of sharing knowledge from one generation to the next (Train the Trainer), sign language guest lecturers who are teachers and students of Thungmahamek School for the Deaf, who were also recipients from the 2nd year of the project, will jointly become the contributors to pass on the knowledge in the 3rd year. This will also serve as an opportunity to share knowledge to peers at Nonthaburi School for the Deaf, a special education school for 49 students with hearing impairment in grades 1-6.”

“Regarding the success of the past two renditions of the project, a total of 156 students and teachers from Setsatian School for the Deaf and Thungmahamek School for the Deaf participated in the project. KTC focused on sharing useful knowledge to society, especially encouraging people in society to develop their careers and generate income for sustainable growth. This also covers supporting educational opportunities to develop the potential of Thai youth to be of equal quality.”

“The ‘Education for Self Empowerment and Sustainable Growth’ project was initiated in 2019 with the belief that if given the opportunity to develop appropriately, physical disabilities among the young are not a barrier to learning. On this note, KTC transferred the teachings of how to grow organic mushrooms according to the sufficiency farming method and financial literacy into its teaching courses. The courses emphasised on a hands-on experience and the development of knowledge to build a career and the ability to pass on the knowledge network to the society in the future.”

Mr. Somchai Banrai, Director, Nonthaburi School for the Deaf,comments,“the 3rd year of ‘Education for Self Empowerment and Sustainable Growth’ project provided opportunities for students with hearing impairments to study and learn about mushroom cultivation and make a full range of mushroom products, from cultivation, care, processing, product design to distribution. Students who participated in the project were able to apply this basic knowledge to further develop their comprehension in other subjects and to pursue a career. I would like to extend my appreciation to KTC, Thungmahamek School for the Deaf, and Pothong Mushroom Farm, for providing opportunities and supporting students to participate in this program. The Nonthaburi School for the Deaf will try to learn and build a body of knowledge and occupational skills at full capacity so that students can get the most out of this project.”

Mrs. Jutharat Ruangdet, Acting Director,Thungmahamek School for the Deaf,remarks, “in the 2020 academic year, the school is honoured to continue the 2nd year of ‘Education for Self Empowerment and Sustainable Growth’ project from KTC and Setsatian School for the Deaf. Apart from receiving a standardized mushroom nursery and quality mushrooms for incubation, the most valuable and useful outcome of the project was the transfer of knowledge, experience, and management processes from Setsatian School for the Deaf and KTC, and the Phothong Mushroom Farm that KTC arranged for students to go on a study tour to create inspiration throughout its duration. Students learned the process of creating a mushroom nursery, project management, care and harvest, product processing, and creating food menus to generate income. Moreover, the project allowed students to be knowledge transferers and endorse leadership skills that are directly beneficial. Meanwhile, the teachers were involved in organizing the experience to push students to learn to convert “mushrooms" into another product of the school that creates income, turn into a learning resource within the school, and a great way to create careers for students. This year, it is great pleasure for the Thungmahamek School for the Deaf to pass on the legacy of this useful project to friends at Nonthaburi School for the Deaf. The school sincerely hopes that the 3rd year of ‘Education for Self Empowerment and Sustainable Growth’ project will continue to be sustainable for a long time to come.”

Ms.Natenapa Kwuansuk,a student lecturer at Thungmahamek School for the Deafwho communicated through sign language about her experience having joined the project for the 2nd time, expresses, “when the teacher said that KTC will come to build a mushroom nursery for our school, and how teachers and friends from Setsatian School for the Deaf will enact as lecturers, we were very thrilled and ecstatic because we have never seen or worked on a mushroom farm. Our mushroom farm is very beautiful; it has an electrical installation with a built-in ready to use spraying system.”

“When Phothong Mushroom Farm came to send the first round of mushroom lumps, we were shocked. The number of mushroom was as high as 1,800, and friends from Setsatian School for the Deaf taught us to open the bag, sort the mushrooms inoculum, and water them. On the day the mushrooms in the entire nursery started blooming, we were so excited to see such a large amount. We harvested the mushrooms and sold them several kilograms at a time. Our rate is 100 baht per kilogram and we sold them to the school kitchen, communities around the school, Suan Phlu market, and gave them out as souvenirs to donors. In the following weeks we also learned to cook them; it was fun and delicious. We also made a big book, and seniors from KTC also came over and taught us how to make income-expense accounts, calculate cost and profit, and helped design a mushroom logo for us. Thank you teachers and friends from Setsatian School for the Deaf, seniors from KTC, and teacher Rhat from Phothong Mushroom Farm who brought us good teachings. I'm very pleased to learn that this year in 2021, we will have the opportunity to pass on our knowledge and experience to friends and children at Nonthaburi School for the Deaf. We will do our best. Thank you KTC for giving us this chance and for such a great experience.”