บ้านแฮด Baan Haet

Continuing our journey into the Isan, we continued north to the district of Baan Haet in the province of Khon Kaen and visited the community of นิคมโนนสมบูรณ.


The community was founded in 2507 (1964), when 460 hectares of crown treasury land was set aside for people suffering from leprosy to live together and try to heal themselves. To begin with there were very strict rules, no-one was allowed to marry or have children. Human nature being what it is however, people did have children and the population has swelled to 3,111. As leprosy has now been eradicated only 1 in 4 of the people in นิคมโนนสมบูรณ have ever suffered from the disease. the hospitals and 'group houses' have been emptied and the villages appear much like any other in the area.

ผุใหญ่สุภาพเลพล, the village head, explains the situation to the CASE team

By regaining their heath, however, the people now face the possibility that the crown treasury department may take back their land. It was this concern that brought the community to CODI to join the Baan Man Kong Chonabot project and to begin negotiating for a long term lease of the land.

พ่อหอมดี (Papa Good Smell), the person who originally contacted CODI, shows us his land. He is able to grow enough rice to feed his family all year round and has space left over to grow vegetables and raise fish and cattle.