Ban Oo Nu sits high in the mountains of Mae Hong Son, right by the headwaters and close to the Thai-Myanmar border. Thick forest surrounds the village, and a stream runs quietly through its centre. There are no roads in. Villagers travel by mountain path and river, and the atmosphere, as one resident put it, is quiet and peaceful.
Mrs Sudaporn is 27 years old. She was born in Ban Oo Nu and has lived here her whole life.
A Hard Start
Sudaporn’s family has always farmed. Even growing rice every year, there was often not enough food.
“When my mother saw us hungry, she felt sorry for us, so she went into the forest and mountains to dig for roots and bring them back to cook for us,” she says. “Those roots became like rice for our family during difficult times.”
There was no school in the village when Sudaporn was growing up. The nearest one, at Ban Sala Chiang Tong, was a long walk away. She made the journey barefoot, at first with a cousin and later alone, sometimes sleeping along the way when she couldn’t reach school on time. She left school at Primary 3.
No Water to Spare
Water was another daily struggle. Especially in the dry season, the village never had enough. When the supply stopped flowing altogether, villagers dug small wells by hand in the riverbed, collecting water and carrying it back to the village.
In 2025, KHT worked with Ban Oo Nu to build a new water supply system, followed by a water filter. Before the filter, water kept in containers or boiled in a kettle showed clear white limestone staining. Now, villagers have clean water, without the dirt or the staining they lived with before.
“I feel very happy and thankful to all the staff who came to help and work together to make this good water supply project for the village.” — Mrs Sudaporn, Ban Oo Nu
The change is already being felt. Villagers no longer need to dig wells or carry water long distances, saving time and energy every day. Sudaporn expects the benefits to reach further still: fewer health problems, an easier daily life, and a system that will still be serving Ban Oo Nu’s children in years to come.
Water was one problem KHT could help solve. Others remain. The journey from Ban Oo Nu to Mae Sariang takes a full day, along roads that are only passable in the dry season — in the wet season, floods and strong currents can cut the village off entirely. There is no health centre, no doctor and often no medicine in the village; a serious illness means a difficult journey to town, sometimes carrying the patient by hand. Phone signal is patchy at best, making it hard for families to stay in touch with children studying away from home.
Sudaporn hopes for better roads, for phone signal, and for basic healthcare support in the village. She also hopes that the younger generation, now able to go to school, will one day return to help develop their community.
Proud of Who They Are
Despite the hardship, Sudaporn speaks warmly of her home: the forest, the river, and a simplicity that means her family doesn’t need much money to get by. She is Karen, and Christian, in a village where different faiths live and work side by side. On special occasions, she wears traditional Karen dress — the “Che” shirt and “Hnee” skirt — with pride.
Thanks to the support of KHT’s donors, Ban Oo Nu now has clean water all year round. For Sudaporn and her neighbours, it’s one hardship fewer in a village still working to overcome many difficulties.