Wilai and her husband were once workers in a cold storage in a fish market until the economy slowed down in the late 1990s. Married with two young children, their income was barely enough for the family of four.

In 2001 her husband decided to return to Chiang Rai, his hometown. Wilai had to make the most difficult decision in her life to follow her husband to a new home, thousands of kilometres away from her own family.

In Chiang Rai, the couple became general workers, each receiving 120 baht (around US $3.75) a day. The family lived in poverty and deprivation. Unable to bear this, Wilai's husband went abroad to earn a better wage for his family. But now things were even harder at home, with just one daily income to see Wilai and her two daughters through.

When Wilai enrolled in a food-processing course, one of the income generating activities World Vision provided, the family's opportunities changed.

“World Vision conducted training and gave an initial capital money to our group. I was there for 10 days. They taught me to make fried pork skin, fried shrimp with chilli paste, fried crispy rice cakes, dok jok (Thai dessert), a deep fried wheat flour snack, and banana chips. I could make around 700 baht (over US $20) profits and form a World Vision food-processing parents group.”

Later she left the group to set up another group in her own village, with 18 members. World Vision helped support cooking utensils worth 12,000 baht.(around US$375). The group started selling fried pork skin but expanded to sell dok jok, banana chips and coconut jelly.

Now they send their products to shops in the community and retail stores in other places. Making snacks is a hard work but the profits are very high. The profits can be as high as 70% of the capital money, consistently providing the housewives with stable income of 1,000 baht each (around $US31).
 
Wilai, now 40, maintains the quality of her group’s snacks and always come up with new recipes that the group still has a good sale. They offer a variety of delicious snacks.

Kaewmon Somsuwan, the group’s treasurer who has a HIV infected sister, became a group member of Fah Lang Fon (the sky after the rain) because her family was poor. She remembers when they had no income at all. After learning about making snacks they can earn money faster than other jobs such as sewing.

Bua Klai Shinotai, 61, another member, lost her daughter and son-in-law to AIDS. Since then she has taken full responsibility in raising her two grandchildren. She works as a field labourer and weaves baskets. Her supplementary income now comes from making snacks. “I earn some money making snacks and Thai fermented pork sausage.”

Khankam Wongkaew, 53, just lost her husband this year. She no longer works in the paddy field. She said that her initial interest in joining the group came from their determination and good teamwork. “I was hoping to have enough earning because there wasn’t many works to do.”

Wilai’s earning has increased to around 5,000 baht.(US$155) She can now save up money to buy a piece of land to build her house.

“I’m glad that I can afford a house," she says. "Thank you, World Vision. My family’s livelihood has improved. We have a job and the group is still growing strong. We teach at schools and other villages. It makes me proud.”

Cartoon or Suphathira (nickname Cartoon), 15, and Sucharini (nickname Kratai), 14, have been receiving educational support from World Vision since grade 3 until the present. Cartoon is currently in grade 10 and Kratai in grade 9.

“I’m very happy. I’m proud of my mum. Our family earns more money. My mum helps other people who don’t have any income. She invited them to join the group. I can feel that she is more sociable and know more people,” Kratai, who wants to become a policewoman, says of her mother.

“She always stays up until late. I help her as much as I can so that we can build our house quicker,”  explains Cartoon.