Community Welfares Model of Ban Khao Dee Community Financial Institution, Chumphon Province

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the management of community welfares, problems and obstacles, and future directions of Ban Khao Dee Community Financial Institution. The data were collected from relevant documents and persons by the method of interview and group discussion. There were two informants groups: 10 committee members and 33 general members from various backgrounds. The data were analysed by content analysis and presented in a descriptive form. The results showed that the community welfares were provided in the forms of financial support and facility support. The financial welfares were divided into the 9 sub-walfares funds: the child and education, the disabled and underprivileged, the elderly, the member health, the career, the community, the risk assurance, the property maintenance, and the asset security. In addition, the facility support was provided through the group’s properties, such as tents, tables, chairs, kitchenware etc. for the member to rent or borrow. The outstanding points of the establishment of these sub-welfare funds were the diversity of welfare management, and the members’ active participation in sharing in the responsibility and practicing group management as a sub-committee members. The problems and obstacles included the limitation in the growth of this small group due to the political conflicts in the community. This caused lack of enthusiasm in the expansion of the group inside. The directions for future development included meeting the member needs and raising the level of the group into community enterprises in order to develop the group’s own community products.