The news about the tsunami has died down,
but there are still a need for assistance

The following information was lifted from the Eco tourism Training Center's website.
Click on their logo to visit this very important site.

The ETC is the brainchild of Reid Ridgway and Pascal Hernikat, both men are PADI dive instructors and were working in the industry when the Tsunami hit. Hernikat barely escaped as the dive shop he managed was gutted by the waves. Ridgway drove to Khao Lak in search of Hernikat and another divemaster friend named Nui. He didn’t know their fate until the two met up 4 days after the event. Ridgway explains “I didn’t know if he and the others made it and when I arrived on the scene I feared the worst. There were 600 or more bodies right near the shop and thousands missing. As I looked upon the scene I got an SMS message from Pascal that just said OK and I wept”

Hernikat states “PADI was one of the first to stand up and support the program and has been a major force in gaining momentum, but the getting the program fully supported has been a long uphill battle.” The ETC now has a fully accredited English language component supplied by the TTT language institute and a custom curriculum designed to stress the vocabulary of environmental tour leadership and computer technology. They now have the facility decked out with an Apple computer lab, a professional video editing suite, a class room with a projection screen, a dive gear maintenance lab, two long tail boats being specially equipped for diving and research operations, and the first 12 students funded and starting to learn.

“We both feel that our program is going to help the young Thai people find meaningful employment and a greater stake in the ecotourism industry. The English component is very important to their success and value in the industry and the computers are helping them learn skills that make them valuable in nearly any business environment” says Ridgway. Hernikat adds, “And it gives them immediate income starting today for 9 months which is vital and important to create employment at this time.”

The ETC has the commitment of many professionals and experts from the community to give learning workshops for the students as the program progresses, and they are documenting the entire program on video, and making a film to be released on the one year anniversary of the disaster. “The film will contain the compelling story of what happened here and the remarkable resilience of this culture as we rebuild and recover. It will highlight and showcase the beauty of the natural environment here in Thailand, both on land and undersea, and it will be a testimony to what these young people have achieved in the face of overwhelming circumstances.” The students are putting the film together themselves.

PaddleAsia is working with ETC to provide quality instructions on low-impact, high quality, sustainable tour practices. Our goal is to try and get these young people into higher paying jobs and away from the mass tourism market. We're hoping to help them get a career instead of a job.

The tsunami made permanent scares on many Thais. To get through the pain, employment in a high-paying job (in comparison to a low-paying mass tourism day trip oriented job) is something that we all feel in very important.

These young people are studying hard. They should be rewarded for their efforts. You can help. Go to the ECT website and see how you can be a part of the program.

PaddleAsia wishes to thank the many individuals who made generous donations to our tsunami relief program. The money went mostly to schools, but also to rebuilding some villages. Now you have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of a few young people who are itching to get past the tragedy and onto a fruitful life in the tourism industry.

If you plan on visiting southern Thailand and have skills in teaching English, computer science, outdoor skills or first aid, you can be a volunteer.

Contact us if you wish to contribute or volunteer.