It is said that “determination” is one of the wonders that resides within each of us, as it empowers humans with creativity, resilience, and the readiness to overcome all limitations in pursuit of something better. When the determination of a small individual is shared with those around them, it becomes the wonder of each community, transforming lifestyles, reviving opportunities, and creating endless value.

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SCGC, a leader in the integrated chemical business for sustainability, believes in the potential of humanity and recognizes the power of everyone's determination. Therefore, it has continuously developed community enterprise projects in Rayong Province for over ten years. Promoting better living conditions for the communities enables them to stand strong on their own. It has recently encapsulated the concept of promoting sustainable communities through the “Amazing Community” project to create jobs, build value, and foster self-reliance.

The Wonder of People Who Never Stand Still

“The spirit of resilience, determination, and relentless actions are the wonders that SCGC has felt after working with the people of Rayong Province. Despite facing limitations in their lives, we have found that some people possess a strong spirit and creativity second to none. After cultivating, enhancing, and exchanging knowledge between SCGC and the community, it is time to reveal the wonders that SCGC has discovered to a wider audience and to create inspiration that can be passed on to society,” Namthip Samphowprasert, Brand Management & CSR Director of SCGC, spoke about the project's background.

The "Amazing Community" project is a sustainability initiative that focuses on people and the stories of community enterprises supported by SCGC. To improve quality of life, generate income, and foster strength to neighboring communities, the goal is to unite the people in the community for stable growth under the principle of "creating jobs, adding value, and being self-reliant."

The three community enterprises featured in this story are driven by three generations and three forces. The first is a community enterprise from the Mab Chalud community, which produces fabric products, a wonder of women's power. This group of housewives, despite facing limitations, has managed to overcome obstacles and stand independently. The second is the Baan Ralin Green Living Community Enterprise, a wonder of the power of the younger generation, creating products from nature, motivated by concern for family members and a desire to improve the environment. Lastly, the Baan Thapma Stingless Beekeeping Community Enterprise represents a wonder of the enduring spirit of the elderly who refuse to retire, passing on the tradition of stingless beekeeping to the forests in Rayong Province.

Mab Chalud Community Communuty Enterprise

“We are a women-only community enterprise. Each of us has different responsibilities, but today we have come together to create jobs, and we can rely on ourselves one hundred percent,” said Prakong Kerdmongkol who goes by her nickname “To”, the chairperson of the Mab Chalud Community Enterprise. She spoke with pride about how the enterprise has helped women in the community to stand on their own two feet.

From a widow who took up tailoring to make ends meet, dedicating herself with precision in every stitch, the small sewing jobs were not enough to sustain a livelihood. Therefore, To initiated a plan to change the work model by gathering enough tailors in the community to handle larger projects.

In the beginning, even though the income was not substantial and orders were few, To relied on her fighting spirit and did not give up, gradually producing a variety of work until finally, sales began, and a clear income was generated. “Keep going, never stop,” is what to be shared with us about overcoming challenges in the early stages

With attention to every detail, not just concerning the products but also the well-being of the group members, To noticed that each housewife who came to work faced similar limitations: the responsibility of taking care of the household, whether it be looking after children, caring for the elderly, or other family members. Thus, To again adjusted the product line to reduce sewing time, allow work to be done from home, and produce high-value items. This led to the creation of the “Chalüd fabric bags.”

The “Chalüd” brand, stitched onto every fabric bag, symbolizes the dedication of the Mab Chalud housewives who craft each bag by hand, yet their quality rivals that of renowned brands in department stores. This has allowed the housewives to have a steady income each month. Looking back seven years, the income from selling Chalüd fabric bags might have just covered daily expenses. However, today, it can generate income ranging from 30,000 to 40,000 baht per month, or even up to hundreds of thousands, providing a stable quality of life for the group of housewives and their families

On the Path to Creating Value: After the Mab Chalud Community Enterprise from Rayong Province had been operating for about two years, SCGC had the opportunity to become a partner and collaborator with the group. Together, they ventured through trial and error, offering support, listening, monitoring outcomes, and, importantly, learning together to design a formula for success. This included product design development, enhancing sewing skills and management knowledge, online marketing, and setting up event booths.

Beyond that, SCGC has served as a mediator for the housewives' group from Mab Chalud Community Enterprise, facilitating collaboration with other community enterprises in Rayong Province within the network overseen by SCGC. This collaboration has enhanced the uniqueness of the group's products, setting them apart from typical fabric products. This includes collaboration with the Batik community enterprise in Ban Chang District, producing naturally dyed fabrics, especially indigo-dyed sea fabric, natural dye from mangosteen peel, and the unique Rayong Province's flying swan print fabric. There is also a collaboration with the San Yai Khon San Witee Weaving Community Enterprise in Pluak Daeng District, holders of the wisdom in weaving fabric from pineapple fiber, known as 'Lukkata fabric,' which is soft, flexible yet durable, suitable for creating various types of products. The uniqueness of these fabrics has been meticulously crafted into finished products by Mab Chalud Community Enterprise, facilitated by SCGC.

"Baan Ralin" Green Living Community Enterprise

“The Baan Ralin Green Living Community Enterprise” embodies the ethos of the new generation eager to conduct good business with environmental conservation in mind while generating sustainable income and employment opportunities,' says Ranyana Chancharoen or Por, the chairperson of the Baan Ralin Green Living Community Enterprise group. She spoke of the young generation's commitment to caring for the planet through green businesses.

From a family immersed in organic farming practices to creating the organic brand “Baan Ralin,” the initial intention was to provide family members with safe, allergy-free, high-quality products. Por began seriously studying the formulation of natural products, including cleaning products and food seasonings. After seeing positive results, she started sharing them with people around her to try, eventually realizing that this was her version of “Green Living,” a lifestyle that could help make the world a better place, starting with herself.

What makes Baan Ralin's products safe for consumers is using 100% natural ingredients. Even the wastewater from their products is environmentally friendly. With meticulous attention to selecting toxin-free raw materials, Por began building a network with local farmers to supply organic, pesticide-free ingredients for Baan Ralin's products.

Take 'kaffir lime' as an example, one of the key ingredients in Baan Ralin's products. Por sources kaffir lime grown organically by local villagers as an ingredient in her products. The kaffir limes, large and with glossy skins, are delivered from the community to Baan Ralin. These fruits are grown in self-mixed soil, nourished with organic fertilizer until they reach full growth. Another indispensable agricultural product, the pineapple, cannot be overlooked. “Rayong Golden Pineapple,” a fruit with a Geographic Indication (GI) from the province, is also an ingredient in Baan Ralin's products, increasing villagers' income from growing crops free of toxic substances. This improvement in their livelihood comes alongside consumers having access to safe products.

Baan Ralin's products can generate hundreds of thousands of baht annually. While it may not be a large sum, it is considered valuable compared to consumers' access to high-quality organic products. Baan Ralin's customers are satisfied with the safe, chemical-free products that are beneficial for health, leading to repeat purchases. Every time Baan Ralin's products are supported, it also means support for the farmers and villagers in the community.

On the Path to Creating Value: Product standard certification is a crucial aspect of developing a consumer goods brand. SCGC has played a part in obtaining certifications from various organizations, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There have been product quality tests and collaborative development of natural extracts to endlessly enhance value, along with branding, logo design, and marketing efforts. It's akin to opening doors for the Baan Ralin Green Living Enterprise to meet consumers directly.

Throughout Baan Ralin's growth journey, SCGC has recognized the strong environmental ethos of the younger generation. Thus, we have joined forces to amplify this intention, making it more potent and impactful. Furthermore, we have partnered with the Baan Ralin Community Enterprise to develop an e-Commerce platform named “Baan Numee,” selling local products from Rayong Province, with SCGC acting as a mediator to link the community to the platform, passing on opportunities and generating income for other community products as well.

The Baan Thapma Stingless Beekeeping Community Enterprise

“Our community enterprise group is a mix of traditional wisdom blended with modernity, capable of revitalizing the elderly in the community, giving them a vibrant life once again," said Prapai Kotcharin, the chairperson of the Baan Thapma Stingless Beekeeping Community Enterprise. She spoke about the group's mission, which, despite being composed of the elderly, aligns with the changing current situation.

Who would have thought that the small, bothersome insects buzzing around the farms and gardens in Rayong Province could significantly improve the community's quality of life? Driven by Prapai's interest in beekeeping as a hobby after retirement from civil service and through her research, she discovered the "stingless bee," an economically beneficial insect. Since then, a few small wooden boxes in her backyard have expanded to several communities in Rayong Province, bringing joy, fulfillment, and a sweet old age to the enterprise group.

Stingless bees are small insects, capable of only short-distance flights, classified as tiny yet mighty creatures because they can forage for food from common flowering plants. If the area is fertile, these stingless bees are not difficult to find, acting as indicators of the environmental quality of their habitat. Especially when raised in organic farming areas, the honey produced is organic, offering numerous health benefits.

The honey from the group's stingless bees is distinct and unique to the area, containing mangosteen flavonoids from the pollen of mangosteen flowers, which have medicinal properties, anti-inflammatory effects, wound healing, and brain nourishment. They also derive propolis and pollen from stingless bees to create products under the brand “Ban Mee Chan Dee.”

Although the strength of the elderly in the group expands the stingless beekeeping house bit by bit, through collaboration, there are now more than 50 stingless beekeepers, creating over 400 stingless bee habitats and building a strong community of elderly with high spirits, which is the most crucial aspect of the enterprise group.

“What the elderly like us can do, everyone can do,” is not just a slogan or an advertisement but a statement of pride from the elderly in the area, making stingless beekeeping a tangible success.

On the Path to Creating Value: From raising stingless bees in backyard gardens and sharing knowledge among the elderly to the day when the enterprise group allowed SCGC to help manage the network of stingless beekeepers, the group became more widely recognized. The result was not only an increase in the number of stingless beekeepers but also wider recognition of the enterprise's products. SCGC brought in experts to expand knowledge, tested the properties of the honey produced, and prepared to elevate the products to become signature goods of Rayong Province.

Furthermore, SCGC acted as a mediator connecting the enterprise group with the Ban Map Chan community, where we had previously developed water management solutions, making the area fertile again. It collaborates with the Rayong Provincial Botanical Garden, a center for research and collection of plant species from the eastern region, to cultivate and expand stingless beekeeping. When these small creatures are surrounded by nature, they can thrive well, contributing to a rich ecosystem, uplifting the spirits of the local people with smiles, and marking a shift towards organic farming in the community.

SCGC is committed to enhancing the quality of life of people in the community, incorporating the Low Carbon, Low Waste approach to foster sustainable value creation. The outcome is the wonder of small individuals standing up on their own, persevering for a better environment, and committed to delivering endless value to society.