This month we're looking at how we're helping keep forests safe. In Laos the answer has come from an unusual source...
Linhthong La-Intong has seen many changes in his home of Sobphouan, over the last 13 years. But there is one thing that hasn't changed – the forest.
"I will never forget the forest back in 2006," he tells us. "The wild forest remains the same until today."
La-Intong – the head of Sobphouan's patrolling group – says that since his village's switching to sustainable rattan production, the number of monkeys, deer and wild pigs in the forest have increased. There has also been very little, if any, conflict between villagers and wildlife over that ten year period.
The picture is a stark contrast to other parts of Laos where people hunt wildlife either for food or because the animals eat their crops.
In Bolikhamxay Province in central Laos (where Sobphoun is located) villagers have found a more sustainable source of income in the form of rattan - a renewable palm that is used for furniture, handicrafts and building materials.
WWF has been working in the area since 2006 to develop a model that ensures the forest is protected while also contributing to local livelihood.
In 2011, the Province gained international acclamation with the first ever Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification of natural rattan forest.
Khensy Milatid – Deputy Chief of Thaveng Village – tells us how his and others view of rattan has changed since they started weaving: "We used to see rattan just as a plant. We didn't see much value in it; we would chop it down and collect stumps for food," he says. "Now I see it as something valuable for our life. Without the forest, it's hard for me to live."
Stable income is the most important benefit that villagers have received from harvesting and weaving rattan, a benefit not always afforded by agriculture and farming.
"People like Mr. Milatid are able to support their children to study at a higher level of school, which they wouldn't be able to do before," says Chanpheng Vivongkone, Head of Khamkeut District Agricultural and Forestry Office.
Danlao, a family owned enterprise, employs some 30 people, many of whom have been with the company for more than ten years. Danlao sources rattan and finished products from villages that are part of our sustainable rattan project.
"WWF came to us at the right time, when we were facing a lack of raw supply," says Danlao owner Saykham Phetmany.
"There is a strong sense of ownership among all the people involved in the project – from provincial level to villagers," says WWF's Bouavanh Phachomphonh.
For people like Chaiy Lathsom, a weaver, the impact that the consumers of these her baskets have on her family's livelihood is immense. Since she started weaving, Lathsom's household income has increased from LAK 20,800 (US $2.6) per month to LAK 712,500 (US $88) per month.
"I feel proud of myself that I can make additional income to help support my family," says Lathsom, a mother of three. "I feel happy and I feel confident about my future."
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