Andaman Discoveries (AD) is a community-based development project of North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR), a non-profit organization based in Thailand that provides assistance to tsunami-affected villages in the north Andaman Sea region. AD has assumed the work of NATR, fostering long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability and generating viable economic opportunities via training and marketing.
Contents |
The Boxing Day tsunami hit in late 2004 and it was after this event that North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR), the parent organization of AD, was formed. Eighteen months later, AD came into existence as a development of the organization.
Andaman Discoveries was established on August 1, 2006 by Bodhi Garrett in Kuraburi, a small town located in Phang Nga Province in the south of Thailand.
AD supports community-led development by acting as a bridge to visitors and volunteers through sponsorship of education, conservation, and cultural empowerment. [1]
With the help of volunteers and visitors, AD has been able to organize and sustain several in-village projects using existing funds and contributions to the Community Fund[2]. These projects include:
AD's partners include research firms, educational institutions, governmental branches, and NGOs alike and name the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Rotary International, University of California – Los Angeles, InterVol (University of Birmingham)[3], and The Mangrove Action Project as partners.