Self-reliance Community economic development model of Ban Kok Daeng, Nikhom Kham Soi District, Mukdahan Province

Abstract

          The purposes of this study were 1) to study the status quo, problems, and needs in developing the self-reliance community economy of Ban Kok Daeng, Nikhom Kham Soi District, Mukdahan Province; 2) to establish a guideline in improving the self-reliance community economy of Ban Kok Daeng; and, 3) to carry out a trial and assess the developmental guideline of the self-reliance community economy of Ban Kok Daeng. The research procedures were divided into 3 phases as follows: Phase 1: the researcher studied the status quo, problems, and needs in developing the self-reliance community economy by collecting data from 200 households, using both qualitative and quantitative methods in analyzing data. The collected data were categorized into themes and sub-themes and described the text using qualitative instruments while the quantitative method was used to analyze frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Phase 2: the researcher established a guideline to improve the self-reliance community economy of Ban Kok Daeng and brought the developed guideline into a brainstorming session with all stakeholders in a workshop to criticize the guideline and to find the final product of its approach. Phase 3: The guideline was tested to 35 households with a six-month trial period. The outcome finding was then analyzed by using t-test (dependent sample) analysis to compare the before-and-after use of the self-reliance community economy developmental guideline at Ban Kok Daeng, Nikhom Kham Soi District, Mukdahan Province.

                  The results showed that, firstly, there were 200 households or more precisely 592 people, divided into 311 males and 281 females. The main occupation was farmer receiving 23,000 baht/household/year. The problem found were the lack of knowledge in their occupation and support from the government sector, lack of part-time job training from the government, experiencing drought every year, lack of working capital and the community needed a guideline in living lives according to the sufficiency economy philosophy, which is expense reduction and revenue increase. The community was in need of these activities as follows: field trips to emulate the success from a role model, cultivation of organic vegetables, raising catfishes for sale, raising frogs for sale, raising local chickens, oyster mushroom farming, and raising ducks for sale.

Secondly, the activities to improve their quality of life were field trips to emulate the success of a role model, cultivation of organic vegetables, raising catfishes for sale, raising local chickens, and oyster mushroom farming.

Lastly, the results of the before-and-after use of the guidelines to develop the self-reliance community economy showed a statistically significant difference at .05 level. This can be concluded that the villagers’ expense was decreasing.