Looking out for the farmers
The mountainous region around Chom Thong is one of Thailand's least urbanised areas. The area is home to ancient hill tribes who farm rice and orchids.
Communities here are reliant on farming to survive - every day is a working day, and a bad harvest or an injured worker puts the entire family at risk.
"My hands are my tools... if I cannot work I cannot eat."
Arthit, Local Farmer
By royal decree, a network of community health workers travel around villages promoting health care. They visit families and help them to find medical treatment when sick.
"If anything is wrong in the villages I am often the first to know about it."
Hassa, Community Health Worker
Healthy skin in farming areas is essential for keeping the community working. Often hands and feet are the best tools for the job - and the only way to keep food on the table.
For this reason, community health workers provide a vital support network, looking out for the farmers.
"If farm work is our hands and feet, then health work must be our eyes and ears."
Hassa, Community Health Worker
Working with community health workers, the Vaseline® Healing Project brought health education and provided treatment for the hilltop tribes of Chom Thong. Healing Project medics helped to diagnose and treat skin issues, protecting farming villages from hardship.
The Vaseline® Healing Project provided supplies and health education to community health workers like Hassa.
