Acknowledgements: I would like to say thank you to the late Dr

Acknowledgements: I would like to say thank you to the late Dr. Sadakichi Kishimoto, and present
Chairman, Ginji Sugiura of the International Charcoal Cooperative Association (ICCA) (“Kokusai Sumiyaki
Kyoryoku-kai”) for posting the designs for the Iwasaki kiln online for free of charge. Without your
generosity, this project would never have been possible, let alone conceived. I would like to thank
Friends of Thailand Organization for assisting with funding, especially board member Carolyn Nickels, for
coordinating step by step throughout the project. Finally, I would like to thank Principal Khamton
Detpawn, for assisting in gathering community support and being my counterpart on the ground, from
start to finish.
Introduction: Wood vinegar kilns are charcoal kilns that have the added benefit of producing
pryoligneous acid, (wood vinegar) a locally producible organic fertilizer and insecticide extracted from
wood, during its conversion to charcoal. The sub-administrative office, as well as the traditional village
leadership within the sub-district Puai, in Amnat Charoen province, Thailand is currently promoting
organic farming practices within their communities, in an effort to produce organically farmed exports.
After seeing examples of the wood vinegar kilns during pre-service training, within the village, and at
sustainable model farms, a Peace Corps volunteer decided to promote the idea of building some kilns
and using the extracted wood vinegar as a substitute for synthetic pesticides. The project’s overarching
goal was to support the village’s long term goal of becoming fully organic.
The project was divided into four distinct phases, the first being the test phase, the second and third
being expansions, and the fourth being an educative component.
Background: During Peace Corps Pre-service Training, all Community Based Organization Development
(CBOD) Volunteers from Peace Corps Thailand group 124 visited a Royal Thai sustainable farming
practice model farm, during which many organic farming practices were introduced. During the
excursion, the Peace Corps volunteers were introduced to the concept of wood vinegar kilns, where a
model wood vinegar kiln was exhibited and its concept explained.
A year into the volunteer’s service, a meeting was held between the volunteer and the heads of the
community, to discuss the community’s overarching goals, in addition to potential projects for the
volunteer to complete during his final year of service. At this meeting, the village headman for subvillage #11 asked the volunteer if he could support his sub-village in promoting organic farming
practices. The idea to build a wood vinegar kiln was briefly discussed during the meeting, however no
definite project was decided upon from that point on.
The final incentive to experiment and build a wood vinegar kiln came from a discussion held between
the community volunteer and the community’s school principal, Mr. Khamton Detpawn, who had just
recently began growing an organic mango orchard. Mr. Detpawn’s previous method employed for
protecting his newly planted trees was to burn rice husks in a cylindrical cement container, as a way to
use smoke as a deterrent for parasitic insects. From observation and discussion about the potential for
building a wood vinegar kiln, it was decided that through a Host Country Contribution (HCC) mini project
assistance grant, a wood vinegar kiln would be built and tested for the community.
Geography: Sub-District Puai consists of 4 villages, with a population total of 7434 people. The villages
of Ban Puai and Ban Hua Dong were previously separate, though as population expanded, they have
merged into one entity; though each village still retains its original name. Ban Nadoon is located three
kilometers from Ban Hua Dong and Ban Nam Tu-uhm is located a further four kilometers from Ban
Nadoon. All four villages make up a total of 13 sub-villages.
Ban Puai
Sub-village #9
Sub-village #8
Sub-village #6
Sub-village #1
Ban Hua Dong
Sub-Village #7
Sub-Village #10
Sub-Village #11
Sub-Village #3
Ban Nadoon
Sub-Village #2
Ban Nam Tu-uhm
Sub-Village #12
Sub-Village #5
Sub-Village #4
Sub-Village #13
Choice of Kiln Design: After much research and deliberation, the volunteer decided to construct an
Iwasaki wood vinegar kiln. The Iwasaki kiln plans were posted online for free (http://iwasakisumiyaki.com/esub2.htm) and provided step by step picture instructions on how to build a kiln from two
200 liter empty oil barrels.
This design was selected, for it held the capacity to produce high quality charcoal by reaching
temperatures of over 1000 degrees Celsius. Higher quality charcoal (known as white charcoal) produces
less smoke, allowing for healthier cooking environments in Thai households. The kiln is housed in an
insulated container, meaning high temperatures can be reached within by burning less wood; putting
less impact on the environment. Finally, the design includes building a condenser unit, in addition to
using a 10 meter long bamboo chimney, allowing for the wood vinegar within the smoke to condense
more effectively than from inferior designs. It also required materials for its construction that were all
accessible within the community (except for the thermocouples.)
The kiln’s design is also quite sustainable. By being kept within a brick housing unit, in addition to being
built under well ventilated, roofed areas, the kilns are protected from the elements, which allows for
their use for many years. Kilns of similar design and housed in similar insulation units seen at a Thai
Royal sustainability model farm in Amnat Charoen Province, (similar in scope to the one visited during
the volunteer’s pre-service training) called Ban Fan Huon, had been built and used for over 7 years and
were still fully functional.
After choosing the kiln design and gathering community support, the volunteer and Mr. Detpawn visited
Ban Fan Huon to observe wood vinegar kiln designs that the Royal Thai Government were promoting
throughout Thailand. Much advice and information was gathered on the kiln’s functionality, the projects
scale of sustainability and the various uses and benefits of wood vinegar
Phase 1: HCC Mini Project Assistance Grant:
The first phase of the project involved building and testing the Iwasaki kiln design. The volunteer worked
with the village headman and five volunteers from sub-village #1 to see if the Iwasaki kiln design could
be built by using the community’s available resources, as well as to test the kilns efficacy at both
collecting wood vinegar and producing high quality charcoal. Additionally, this kiln was to serve as a test
unit, to measure if there was a demand for more kiln constructions within the remaining 12 sub villages.
Summary of HCC Mini Grant Expenses:
2 Used Gasoline Barrels
Welder's Fee
Cement and Bricks
Gutter Man's Fee
Total
500 baht
500 baht
334 baht
500 baht
1834 baht
Stakeholder Contribution:
HCC Contribution
Community Gifts
in Kind (Labor)
The HCC mini grant provided 1834 baht
for the construction of the first Iwasaki
kiln.
Community Gifts in Kind included one day of
labor from 5 volunteers, valued at 200 baht
per day (200*5*1)
After building the first kiln, high quality charcoal and large quantities of wood vinegar were produced –
In addition to much enthusiasm for the kiln and its design from the village headman of sub-village #1.
After showing the community’s kiln, the high quality charcoal and the wood vinegar to some of his
associate village headmen, the volunteer was asked by them if he could build for their sub-villages an
Iwasaki kiln too.
Further demand for more kiln constructions was established from the test unit in sub-village #1, in
addition to the abundance of traditional, mud based charcoal kilns found throughout the entire subdistrict. This led the volunteer to petition the Friends of Thailand (FoT) Organization for additional
funding, to build seven more kilns for the remaining sub-villages within the villages of Ban Puai and Ban
Hua Dong.
Lessons Learned: Although the first kiln built was successful at producing wood vinegar and charcoal, it
was built too close to some village households. Many villagers living near the kiln weren’t too keen on its
use, for the kiln emitted acrid smelling smoke. The lessons learned from the original HCC grant were that
a) these kilns were effective at producing charcoal and wood vinegar, b) there was a demand for more in
every sub-village, c) they could be produced from the materials found within the community and d) they
had to be built sufficiently far enough away from households, so as not to discourage their future use,
but close enough, so as not to be too inconvenient to access.
Phase 2: First FoT Grant: The second phase of the project involved expanding the project’s reach to the
seven remaining sub-villages within Ban Puai and Ban Hua Dong. The additional seven kiln constructions
increased accessibility to wood vinegar producing kilns, further expanding upon the promotion of
organic farming methods throughout the sub-district. These kilns hold the capacity to produce between
2 to 7 liters of wood vinegar per firing, so they are incapable of mass producing wood vinegar for the
entire sub-district in one place. The decentralized nature of this project thus required a kiln construction
for each sub-village, to provide equal distribution and access for the entire community.
Map of Distribution: Phase 2.
The first step in the project’s framework involved finding appropriate sites to build the kilns at, within
each sub-village. This was performed by the sub-village headmen, who knew of existing potential sites
for kiln constructions. The prerequisites for a kiln site were that it a) was ventilated and roofed; or a roof
was planned to be built for it, b) was far enough away from villagers to remove them from the smell of
acrid smoke and, c) was close enough, so as not to be too much of a hassle to access. After visiting and
approving each kiln site, the volunteer distributed funds individually to each village headman, to
purchase the materials and services needed for each kiln. Each village headman received 2720 baht for
these purposes.
Summary of FoT Expenses:
8-10 meter long hollow bamboo chimney
Used gasoline barrel
K thermocouple with thermometer
Welder's fee
Metal Pipes
Gutter man's fee for chimney parts
Cement bricks
Cement
Wire
Unit
7
14
8
7
7
7
50
7
1
Price per Unit
40 baht
700 baht
19.48 dollars (584.4 baht)
500 baht
100 baht
100 baht
7 baht per brick (350 baht)
130 baht
100 baht
Grand Total
Total
280 baht
9,800 baht
4,675.2 baht
3,500 baht
700 baht
700 baht
2,450 baht
910 baht
100 baht
23045.2
Stakeholder Contribution:
FoT contributed 23045.2 baht to
the project
FoT Contribution
Community Gifts in
Kind (Labor &
Funding)
PC Volunteer
Contribution
Community Gifts in Kind included
one day of labor from 5 volunteers,
valued at 200 baht per day
(200*5*7) plus an additional 100
baht that sub village #3 spent on
the project. 7100 baht
The volunteer paid an additional
100 baht to six headman due to
miscalculation, and covered the
extra costs for the thermocouples.
1046.9 baht total.
Error in calculation – the amount of money asked for in the grant for thermocouples was 4675.2 baht,
however, the actual cost of 8 thermocouples off of Amazon.com was 5151.90, a difference of 476.70
baht, meaning the price difference between when the grant was written and the actual product was
purchased changed, by ~16 dollars. Furthermore, funds for one coil of wire were appropriated through
the FoT grant, though the volunteer paid 100 baht to each village headman, due to miscalculation.
Each of the additional kilns were welded and constructed with the volunteer’s direct supervision. To
ensure that the kilns were built correctly, the volunteer followed the Iwasaki kiln directions by drawing
the lines onto each barrel before they were cut and welded. The construction of the insulated housing
units at each kiln site was also managed by the volunteer, to ensure proper construction. Overall, this
phase of the project required one week per kiln construction, due to the need for direct supervision.
Lessons Learned: During the kiln construction for sub-village #11, a 1.5 inch metal pipe was used for the
chimney, which restricted the flow of oxygen from exiting the kiln. This caused the kiln to be inefficient
at producing both charcoal and wood vinegar. In the second expansion (phase 3) the volunteer gave
specific instructions while handing out the funds to each village headman to purchase metal pipes no
thinner than 2.5 inches in width. Additionally, collecting receipts was incredibly time consuming,
requiring multiple visits and innumerable telephone calls per sub-village. To overcome this issue, in the
third phase expansion, the village headmen were instructed to deliver their receipts to a specific address
on a specific date after their kilns’ construction(s).
Phase 3: Second FoT Grant: After completing the seven additional kilns for the remaining sub-villages
within the villages of Ban Puai and Ban Hua Dong, the volunteer decided to further expand the project
to the remaining five sub-villages that hadn’t received a kiln yet, while simultaneously doubling the
original plan of “1 kiln per sub-village” to “2 kilns per sub-village.” The eight sub-villages within the
village of Ban Puai and Ban Hua Dong were to receive an additional kiln, while the five sub-villages
within the villages of Ban Nadoon and Ban Nam Tu-uhm were to receive funds to construct two kilns per
sub-village. In sum, funds for an additional 17 kilns were requested.
Note: Due to poor miscalculation on the volunteer’s part, the funds needed for the 18th kiln were on
accident, not petitioned for in the second FoT grant. However, due to complications resulting in extra
funds being received from FoT (refer to “explanation” section,) in addition to the thermocouple orders
never being placed (refer to “challenges” section,) the remaining funds for it were secured from
elsewhere.
A meeting was held on January 7th, 2014, in which the volunteer invited every village headman and
three addition village helpers from each sub-village to participate in a discussion over a) the proper
methods of constructing an Iwasaki kiln, b) the budget, and c) prerequisites for proper kiln site
placement. Additionally, the education component on how to use wood vinegar was also undertaken at
this time. The following day, the volunteer visited every sub-village and distributed funds for the kilns
after approving of their selected site(s). The money was distributed on January 8th, and the deadline for
the kilns’ constructions was set for the end of the month; January 31st, 2014, giving each sub-village a
total of 3 weeks to complete their kiln(s).
The funds, totaling 1420 baht per kiln construction were distributed in envelopes to every sub-village
headman, on top of which was pasted a supply list and budgeting explanation, denoting the exact price
for every supply and service needed for the kilns’ constructions. The sub-village headmen were then
instructed to post their receipts to the sub-village headman of sub-village 8 (gamnan), at the end of the
month for ease of collection.
To ensure quality control of the materials purchased, the most expensive items from the budget (the 36,
200 liter oils barrels, valued at 700 baht per item) were purchased in bulk from a gasoline station,
delivered to Mr. Detpawn’s house for pick-up and distribution. Kiln sites were approved of if they met
the criteria that were established from the HCC mini grant kiln construction. Additionally, the second
kiln site location was mandated to be on the opposite side of the sub-village, to ensure equal
distribution and to improve accessibility. In this way, both the materials for the kilns and the selection of
chosen kiln sites were guaranteed to be suitable.
Map of Distribution: Phase 3.
During the second expansion, the village headmen for sub-village #6 decided to build only one kiln for
his sub-village, for the couldn’t find an additional appropriate site that met the criteria established from
the HCC mini grant. The funds and supplies leftover were used to build a kiln at the local community
school’s mulberry tree orchard instead.
In the case for Ban Nadoon, the mandate for building kilns on
opposite ends of the village was overruled, due to the size of the
sub-village. Ban Nadoon is made up of 35 households, with a
population of roughly 150 people. The only other available space
to build the second kiln was too near to village households, and
so the volunteer made an exception to the rule by allowing for
the construction of both kilns near the same location.
All kiln constructions within
Ban Nam Tu-uhm were
undertaken through the second
FoT Grant and were
geographically distributed fairly
equally.
Stakeholder Contribution:
FoT Contribution
(Used)
FoT Contribution
(Leftover)
Community Gifts in
Kind (Labor &
Funding)
FoT contributed 61,240 baht to the
project, of which, 50,760 baht was
spent to build 18 additional kilns.
Community Gifts in Kind included
one day of labor from 5 volunteers,
valued at 200 baht per day
(200*5*18). 14000 baht
10,520 baht wasn’t spent on this
project and was reallocated to
another project. Please refer to
“challenges” section.
Summary of FoT Expenses:
8-10 meter long hollow bamboo chimney
Used gasoline barrel
K thermocouple with thermometer
Welder's fee
Metal Pipes
Unit
17
34
17
17
17
Price per Unit
40 baht
700 baht
19.48 dollars (584.4 baht)
500 baht
100 baht
Total
680
23800
9934.8
8500
1700
Gutter man's fee for chimney parts/construction
Cement bricks
Cement
Tin Oil Box (Pip)
17
50
17
17
200 baht
7 baht per brick (350 baht)
130 baht
100 baht
Grand Total
3400
5950
2210
1700
57874.8
The budget in phase three was increased by an additional 200 baht per unit per the request of the
village headmen, to include funds to purchase metal oil canisters, (used for the condenser units) and to
pay the gutter man for his services (as opposed to only paying for the materials) which wasn’t included
in the previous FoT grant.
Error in calculation: Though 57874.8 was requested in the second FoT grant, by accident, the volunteer
received 61,240 baht total from the FoT organization. This extra money (2,820.00 out of 3,405.20 baht)
was put towards the 18th kiln, which the volunteer forgot to request funds for in the first place. The
remaining 545.2 baht was included in the reallocated funds, which was put towards the FoT funded
basketball court renovation project.
Little supervision was provided for during the third phase of the project, for eight properly built wood
vinegar kilns had already been constructed for the sub-villages to copy from. This critical mass of
properly constructed kilns allowed for villagers to observe and replicate them, without the volunteer’s
direct supervision. This, coupled with the short time span to build an additional 18 kilns, as well as the
decentralized nature of the project meant that direct supervision would not have been practical and
overly time consuming.
Lessons Learned: Upon reaching the deadline of three weeks, all 18 of the kilns were nearing completion
and most receipts had been posted too. However, sub-village #3 and #11 in the village of Ban Hua Dong
did not follow the directions prescribed by the volunteer. Both sub-villages had previously received a
correctly built Iwasaki wood vinegar kiln to copy from. However, the villagers decided on their own
accord to simplify the kiln design, to save on the costs of labor. This results were two functional wood
vinegar producing charcoal kilns, but of an inferior design. Both kilns lack a fire chamber and may not be
able to reach temperatures higher than 800 degrees Celsius. This lack of direct supervision by the
volunteer was performed to ensure that the short deadline set could be met, however, the consequence
of which was that two sub-villages did not follow directions correctly, which resulted in two incorrectly
designed kilns.
Phase 4 - Education Component: A third grant was written to FoT, by the suggestion of FoT Board
member Kat Hendrix, to incorporate an educational component into the project. This addendum was
added to ensure that the kilns and the wood vinegar were being used properly. The education
component was divided into two parts, the first being an instructional session on how to use the kilns
and wood vinegar, conducted by a soil doctor from Ban Fan Huon, and the second being the design,
production and distribution of long lasting, instructional vinyl posters to every kiln site. All of the
information that was taught during the educational meeting was incorporated into the posters, for long
term instructive purposes.
After consulting multiple times throughout the project with Ban Fan Huon Royal Thai model farm, the
volunteer requested their assistance in providing instruction on the proper use of wood vinegar and
wood vinegar kilns. A soil doctor was invited from the model farm to give a three hour lesson to the
community. Though 52 participants were invited, (every village headman and three additional helpers
from every sub village) only 26 participants attended the meeting. This lack of attendance may have
been caused by two reasons; the sub-administrative office chose to inform the headmen of the meeting
only the day before the actual juncture, and there was a New Years merit making ceremony in subvillage #1, which many of the village headmen chose to attend to instead.
At the meeting, the volunteer went over the proper method of constructing an Iwasaki kiln, before the
instructor from Ban Fan Huon went over the various uses of wood vinegar, some of the hazards that
wood vinegar can cause if not used correctly (i.e. harming crops if incorrect ratio is used and polluting
fish ponds by altering Ph levels) as well as the proper methods of storing the liquid. After the meeting,
the village headmen were instructed to teach an additional 10 villagers from each of their sub-villages
about what they learned from the meeting, to spread word to 130 additional villagers of the availability
of the new public good (the kiln) and its benefits and uses (organic fertilizer and pesticide.)
The second part of the educational component involved producing 26 vinyl posters, which were then
distributed to each kiln site. These posters provided a sustainable way of informing the community on
the proper use of the kilns, how to properly employ wood vinegar on crops as both fertilizer and
pesticide, and it also served as a way to inform the community that these kilns were a public good –
available to every villager inclined to use them and not privately owned by the village headmen.
The posters were quoted at 400 baht per unit, however after ordering in bulk 26 posters, the store
owner reduced the price by 25%, reducing the cost per item to 300 baht. The extra money leftover was
used to build an additional kiln for sub-village #8, after the headman found an additional, suitable site
for its construction. The vinyl instructional posters were distributed from sub-village #8’s (gamnan)
headman’s house, as the receipts for their kilns were posted.
Summary of FoT Expenses
Unit
Fee for Soil Doctor
Educative Vinyl Poster
Leftover Money
SAO Funds for Lunch
1
26
1
1
Price per Unit
650 baht
300 baht
2730 baht
3900 baht
Grand Total
Total
650
7800
2730
3900
15080
Fee for Soil
Doctor
Educative Vinyl
Poster
Leftover Money
SAO Funds for
Lunch
The cost for procuring 26 vinyl posters
was quoted as 400 per item. After a bulk
order of 26 posters was placed, the price
per unit was reduced by 25%, with a total
of 2,600 baht leftover. The 130 baht
allocated for the purchase of notebooks
wasn’t used either. A total of 2730 baht
remained. The Sub-Administrative Office
provided 3900 baht worth for the
purchase of food at the educational
meeting.
Challenges: During the second phase of the project, eight thermocouples were ordered to a DPO
(diplomatic pouch) address in Bangkok for the eight kilns that were built through the original HCC and
FoT grants. Though charged for the items, they never arrived in Thailand and to date still reside in
Singapore. Thermocouples are measurement tools that monitor temperatures between 0 degrees
Celsius up to up to 2000 degrees Celsius. This component would have been used to measure when the
kiln reached temperatures between 80 to 180 degrees; the optimum time to collect wood vinegar.
However, they were later deemed an unessential item if the liquid were to be stored for 3 months prior
to its use (to allow for tar and other sediment that gets released in temperatures above 180 degrees
Celsius to settle first.)
Because the first order of 8 thermocouples from the first FoT grant never arrived in Thailand, the
volunteer was wary to spend the FoT funds allocated specifically for the purchase of an additional 18
thermocouples. Since these measurement tools were deemed useful, yet nonessential components for
the project’s overall utility, the volunteer petitioned FoT to reallocate the leftover money towards the
basketball court renovation project instead; another FoT funded project in the volunteer’s community.
Summary of Reallocated Funds: After permission was granted for fund reallocation, the extra funds were
used to purchase reusable supplies for an annual village basketball competition. The funds were also
used to add a futsol component to the renovated courts, creating multidimensionality to its purpose.
The use of funds is explained further in depth in the FoT funded “Basketball Renovation Grant Report”
Summary of FoT Reallocated Funding
Left Over Fund Reallocation
Item
Additional Kiln for Village #7
Basketball Jerseys
Miscellaneous Basketball Supplies
Tournament Trophies
Soccer Goal Post Materials
Amount of Unit
1
40
1
6
2
Price Per Unit
2730 baht
150 baht
220 baht
216.67 baht
1500 baht
Total
2730
6000
220
1300
3000
Stakeholder Contribution
FoT’s Reallocated funds to the
“Basketball Renovation Project”
and additional kiln totaled 13503
baht.
FoT Contriution
(Used)
Community Gifts in
Kind
Community Gifts in Kind included
1,000 baht of free labor from the
village welder, for the
construction of 2 futsol goal posts.
Summary of Budget Totals: There were four stakeholders providing funding/resources throughout the
project, those being a) Friends of Thailand Organization b) Host Country Contribution Mini Project
Assistance Grant c) Volunteer Contribution and d) Community Gifts in Kind (Funds and Labor.)




HCC: provided 1834 baht to construct the first Iwasaki test kiln.
FoT: provided 95,505 baht in the form of three grants, to build 25 Iwasaki kilns.
The Volunteer: contributed 2690.89 baht, to make up for miscalculations, in addition to the
construction of an Iwasaki kiln for Mr. Detpawn, for him and his associates (semi-public kiln.)
Community Gifts in Kind: contributed 31,916 baht in the form of labor, and additional funds that
were utilized when the budget wasn’t sufficient.
Budget Total
HCC Mini Grant
Item
Budget for Kiln Supplies and Services
Labor (1 day)
FoT Phase 1 Grant
Item
Budget for Kiln Supplies and Services
Thermocouples
Labor (1 day)
Sub-village #3 Fund Contribution
Volunteer Fund Contribution
Amount of Unit Price Per Unit
1 1834 baht
5 200 baht
Grand Total
HCC Funds to Spend
Funds Left Over
Total
1834
1000
2834
1834
0
Amount of Unit
7
8
35
1
1
Total
18340
5151.9
7000
100
1046.9
31638.8
23045
-446.9
Price Per Unit
2620 baht
643.99 baht
200 baht
100 baht
1076.7 baht
Grand Total
FoT Funds to Spend
Funds Left Over
FoT Phase 2 Grant
Item
Budget for Kiln Supplies and Services
Labor (1 day)
Sub-village # 12 Fund Contribution
Sub-village # 4 Fund Contribution
Amount of Unit
18
90
1
1
Price Per Unit
2820 baht
200 baht
766 baht
150 baht
Grand Total
FoT Funds to Spend
Funds Left Over
Total
50760
18000
766
150
69,676
61,280
10,520
FoT Educative Grant
Item
Fee for Soil Doctor
Educative Vinyl Poster
SAO Funding for Lunch
Amount of Unit
1
26
1
Price Per Unit
650 baht
300 baht
3900 baht
Grand Total
FoT Funds to Spend
Funds Left Over
Total
650
7800
3900
12,350
11,180
2,730
Other Funding
Item
Privately Funded Kiln for Principal
Left Over Fund Reallocation
Item
Additional Kiln for Village #7
Basketball Jerseys
Miscellaneous Basketball Supplies
Tournament Trophies
Soccer Goal Post Materials
Labor (Welder)
Amount of Unit Price Per Unit
1 1643.99 baht
Total
1643.99
Amount of Unit
1
40
1
6
2
2
Total
2730
6000
220
1300
3000
1000
14,250
13,250
0
Price Per Unit
2730 baht
150 baht
220 baht
216.67 baht
1500 baht
500 baht
Grand Total
FoT Funds to Spend
Funds Leftover
HCC Mini Project
Assistance Funding
FoT Funding
Gifts in Kind
Funding
Volunteer Funding
HCC Mini
Project
Assistance
FoT Funding
Gifts in Kind
Funding
Volunteer
Funding
1834
95,505
31,916
2690.89
Conclusion: Since the project’s implementation, each of the 28 kilns built have been utilized once, some
being used as many as ten times since their construction. With free access to the kilns, step by step
instructions on how to use the kiln and its products, broad geographical distribution, and a strong public
awareness of their availability and locations, hundreds of villagers now have within their means a long
term method of producing high quality charcoal and organic fertilizers and pesticides; with the
assumption that they will be functional for many years to come. Due to the ease of which the kilns are
comprehended, accepted and utilized by the villagers of Sub-district Puai, as well as the costeffectiveness and assumed sustainability of the project, the volunteer recommends expanding the
projects reach to other sub-districts throughout rural Thailand.
Possible M&E/Maintenance: Though the volunteer’s service ends on March 20th, 2014, there is the
potential to monitor the scope of sustainability of the project. Kilns of similar design in Ban Fan Huon
had been used for over 7 years and were still fully functional; however the Iwasaki kiln design has never
been tested for sustainability. If possible, every five years the volunteer will try to visit the villages to see
if the kilns are still operational and to monitor if the villages are up keeping their maintenance.
Additionally, in July 2014, FoT Board member Carolyn Nickels will be visiting Sub-district Puai with the
community volunteer. The volunteer will monitor if the kilns have had their roofing units built before
the rainy season.
Photos
This is an example of a
traditional, mud based
charcoal kiln, which can be
found all over rural North
East Thailand. It does not
have the ability to create
wood vinegar, requires
multiple firings to make good
quality charcoal and may not
be able to reach
temperatures of above 1000
degrees.
This is an example of a wood vinegar
producing charcoal kiln design
previously employed by a villager in
Sub-district Puai. It is unclear to the
volunteer how it works. Demand for
these kilns was established through
these examples, in addition to the
innumerable mud based charcoal kilns
found throughout the villages.
This was the first kiln built with the
HCC Mini Project Assistance grant
for sub village #1.
This kiln demonstrated the efficacy
of the Iwasaki kiln design, and
stimulated demand for more kiln
constructions throughout the
villages of Ban Puai and Ban Hua
Dong.
This is the Iwasaki kiln built with
private funds for the school
principal, the volunteer’s
counterpart throughout the project.
He’s pictured here in this photo.
The newly planted organic mango
orchard – which sparked the initial
conversation to build the first
Iwasaki kiln – can be seen in the
foreground.
Top Left: This is the
second Iwasaki kiln
built for sub-village
#1
Top Right: The first
Iwasaki kiln built for
sub-village #2.
Bottom Left: The
second Iwasaki kiln
built for sub-village
#2.
Due to sub-village #2’s small population size, an exception was made to the geographical distribution
rule, which allowed for both kilns to be built at the same location.
Top Left: Second Iwasaki Kiln for sub-village #3
Top Right: First Iwasaki Kiln for sub-village #3
Middle Left: First Iwasaki Kiln for sub-village #4
Middle Right: Second Iwasaki Kiln for subvillage #4
Bottom Left: First Iwasaki Kiln for sub-village
#5
Top Left: Second Iwasaki kiln for subvillage #5
Top Right: First and only Iwasaki kiln
built for sub-village #6. No suitable
second site which fit all the criteria
was found for sub-village #6 to build a
second kiln at. The extra funds were
used to build an Iwasaki kiln at the
local school’s education garden
instead.
Middle: First Iwasaki Kiln built for
village #7.
Bottom Left: First Iwasaki Kiln built for
sub-village #8.
Top Left: Second Iwasaki Kiln built for subvillage #8.
Top Right: First Iwasaki Kiln built for subvillage #9.
Bottom Left: Second Iwasaki Kiln built for
sub-village #9.
Top: Iwasaki kilns built in sub-village #10
Middle: Iwasaki kilns built in sub-village #11
Bottom: Iwasaki kilns built in sub-village #12
Top: Iwasaki kilns built in sub-village #12. Note the traditional mud-based charcoal kiln built next
to the Iwasaki kiln.
Bottom Left: Kiln built at local school’s educational garden, with the funds left over from not
building sub-village #6’s additional kiln.
Bottom Right: Second Iwasaki Kiln built for sub-village #7.
Top: The third kin built for sub-village
#8. Funds for this construction were
secured from the leftover funding from
the vinyl educative posters.
Bottom: Second Iwasaki kiln built for
sub-village #10.
Fund and Barrel Distribution: During the second expansion (Phase 3) 36 barrels were purchased in bulk
to ensure quality control. Funds were distributed in envelopes denoting materials needed with exact
pricing, after kiln site locations were approved of. This ensured the suitability of both site and product.
This is the receipt for the first order of thermocouples from Amazon. The thermocouple order still
currently resides in Singapore.
The educational meeting held on
January 7th, 2014, where 26
villagers were in attendance.
Participant turnout was lower
than expected.
This is the educative poster distributed to every kiln site. It explains how the kiln works, how to use it
properly, how to utilize the wood vinegar as both pesticide and fertilizer in a multitude of ways as well
as providing warnings against its misuse. Information was gathered from Echo Community, Mae Jo
University and the soil doctor from Ban Fan Huon.
Explanation for Additional FoT Funding
On January 4th I received an email from you with the following totals:
TOTAL for both projects in baht is: 72,460
Today's exchange rate: 33 baht to the dollar
TOTAL for both projects in dollars is: $2,196
I replied the same day without checking the actual numbers. According to the previous budgets:
Total for the Addendum: 57,874.80 baht
Total for Education: 11,180 baht
TOTAL for both projects: 69,054.80 baht (See budgets below for confirmation)
Therefore, I received 3,405.20 baht more than I requested.
ADDENDUM BUDGET
8-10 meter long hollow bamboo chimney
Used gasolene barrel
Unit
17
34
K thermocouple with thermometer
Welder's fee
17
17
Price per Unit
40 baht
700 baht
19.48 dollars (584.4
baht)
500 baht
Total
680
23800
9934.8
8500
Metal Pipes
Gutter man's fee for chimney
parts/construction
17
100 baht
1700
17
3400
Cement bricks
Cement
Tin Oil Box (Pip)
50
17
17
200 baht
7 baht per brick (350
baht)
130 baht
100 baht
Grand Total
57874.8
5950
2210
1700
EDUCATION BUDGET
Instruction
Notebook
Lunch for Visiting
Instructor
Vinyl Instructional Poster
Unit
Hour
Booklet
Price per
Unit
200 baht
10 baht
Total Amount of
Unit
3
13
Total
600
130
Dish
Poster
50 baht
400 baht
1
26
50
10400
Grand Total
11,180
Thes e are th