Updates on Greenheart Travel’s Give Back Award in Thailand
In December, Greenheart Travel awarded our annual “Give Back” donation to three of our volunteer projects in Thailand, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka.
Our winning volunteer project was determined by our community and alumni, and after the votes were tallied we were thrilled to award $3,500 to our Stray Dog Rescue Project in Thailand! The money was donated to help purchase more kennels and create a recreational area and adoption zone for the area dogs and puppies.
These additions will double the size of the clinic, allowing the staff to treat and release nearly four times the amount of dogs. This project also provides warmth, comfort, security, companionship, as well as protection from disease, injury and stress. The project also offers access to an exercise and activity area, highly functional clinic and kennel, and an area for successful dog training and adoption.
We first visited this project in 2014, which addresses a rapidly increasing population of street dogs in the Hua Hin area. Volunteers work to improve the quality of life for these dogs by performing over 300 sterilizations and nearly 600 vaccinations each year.
Before being awarded the Greenheart Travel Give Back award, the clinic was facing a challenge with long-term care for a rescued dog. A dog could possibly face problems reintegrating into their pack after prolonged absence from its group.
Today, we are happy to share a progress report of how the project is coming along!
Constructing a new expanded center in Thailand requires lots of time and there are many regulations and bureaucratic hurdles to overcome. Since being awarded the “Give Back” award, the center has developed a proposal including a detailed plan for the construction of the new clinic area and are now waiting approval from the local government.
The proposal includes:
- Establishing scope, quality, schedule and budget
- Site studies- surveys, environmental impact and soil reports
- Financing- setting a capital campaign targeting individual and corporate donors, or in some instances, Governmental organizations
- Plan approval and initiation
- Delivery process, which includes determining the design
- Consulting and construction services for the design phase
- Hiring a local construction company to complete the actual work
- Breaking ground, and laying the foundation of the center
Below, you can see an architectural projection of the new space:
The local staff has also calculated an estimated total cost of the construction to end up around $37,000, subject to the layout area, materials and vendors. With 60% of this estimated cost will go towards building, 25% towards equipment and furniture, 5% service fees, and 10% contingencies. All architectural and engineering fees will be sponsored. They hope to break ground on this project by the end of the year!
While Greenheart Travel’s Give Back award only makes a small dent in the total, we have helped to jump start the process and proposal writing. With such a well planned proposal, the center continues to raise funds from volunteers, partners and people around the world!
Stay tuned later this year for more updates on this exciting initiative!
