Myanmar - Tun Lwin - 2012 Graduate

by Tun Lwin

Lwal Pann Sone Community Based Tourism

submitted June 2019

Growing my Farm / Growing my Community

The Pekhon Township Civic Society Organization Network (PTCN) was established July 27, 2017 with 11 civic society organizations in the Pekhon township for the sake of cooperation among the different stakeholders for environmental protection and sustainable rural development for social change.

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Enviromental campaigning

Goal

The stakeholders in the Pekhon township will accept and support the network’s action plans and statements by collaborating with the government sector, civic society organizations, and the community to work for sustainable development.

Objectives

The network will actively involve and implement natural resources management, Pekhon lake conservation, community forestry, advocacy, customary land rights, sustainable agriculture, livestock raising, and women and child rights protection for the Pekon township.

Pekon CSO's Network Meeting / Organic Certificate

In June 2015, I had started my individual farm based on my ARI dream. I planted approximately 10,000 trees from 2015 to 2019 (2,500 Avocado, 2,000 coffee, 1,500 tea, 1,500 orange, 1,000 banana, 500 lemon, 500 macadamia and 500 pepper). Organically, I applied natural fertilizers based on ARI techniques for 30 acres totally in my farm. I received an organic certificate July 21, 2018 from the Myanmar Organic Grower & Producer Association (MOGPA) through the International Federation Of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM).

Community forest / Nursery garden

I have been running a small nursery garden since 2016 in order to share seedlings with shifting cultivation farmers near my farm. My hope is they will give up shifting farming and opium cultivation and start permanent farming practices. This year, I am completing growing around 5,000 seedlings (coffee, avocado, mango, jack fruit, and others) in my nursery garden and will distribute to 50 small-scale farmers in July 2019.

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Myanmar - Tun Lwin - 2012 Graduate

Lwal Pann Sone Community Based Tourism

submitted by Tun Lwin, General Manager, March 2019

Network e-Bulletin, May 2019, No. 2

Community Based Tourism

We care for our People and Nature

We are a community-based tourism project that began in Lwal Pann Sone village on November 27, 2018. We have 4 traditional bungalows which can accommodate up to 16 visitors. Lwal Pann Sone Island is around 600 acres and is located near Belu stream. The island is connected to Inle Lake, Samkar Lake and Mobye Dam, from where it is possible to continue to Loikaw, in Kayah State.

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What was once a mountain has now become a large and beautiful lake, thanks to a hydroelectric project in the area. There are around 100 households on the island and people’s livelihoods include fishing, agriculture and raising livestock.

From Lwal Pann Sone, Pekon town is reachable in 15 minutes by boat. It is known to locals as a sea hilly town. Situated on the highway from Yangon to Loikaw, it is the most southern township in Shan State and borders several different states and regions including Kayah State, Kayin State, Shan State and Naypyidaw Union Territory.

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Lwal Pann Sone village

Tourist Attractions

The island sits at over 3,000 feet above sea level and has a sub-tropical climate which is very pleasant for visitors. Seasonal attractions including flowers, trees, and agricultural products can be seen and tasted. There are several tourist spots to visit, such as ancient pagodas and traditional houses, and visitors can see skills like hand-making of fishing nets, traditional rice whisky making and traditional fishing methods. We offer a tour by boat to explore natural beauty spots around the island, mountain bike rental and tours, kayaking, and fishing trips.

Boats on Lake Inle

We provide local organic, Kayan, Shan and Intha traditional food. This includes rice wine and traditional Kayan sausage along with fresh barbecue and fresh local fish.

There are several tourist attractions in the western part of Pekon township where visitors can see indigenous people’s lifestyles, cultures and customs, such as hunting, farming, handicrafts, local cattle management and pine forest management. We can take you trekking through villages, camping, and for visits to organic farms. The highest mountain, which is known as Lwelon Mountain, is located in the western part of Pekon township, and from its peak you can see the township in all its glory. Famous and magnificent churches and ancient pagodas can be visited in and around both Pekon and Mobye.

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Myanmar traditional houses as bungalows

You can’t fully experience Pekon without visiting the long-necked people and seeing their traditional weavings. At the same time, different kinds of produce and several cuisines are on offer at Pekon market, which takes place once every five days.

Not only is there biodiversity in the unique and colorful birds on the island but also in the aquatic species. When the dam was created in 1969, a whole civilization was flooded to a depth of 4,000 feet. Many people lost their land and had to move to higher ground, leaving flooded pagodas and ancient villages just waiting for discovery. We are offering snorkeling and scuba diving to those who want to have a unique adventure, including all equipment and an instructor.

In addition, we are delighted to offer cars, boats, bicycles, and motorcycles to be able to travel to Kayah State along with special guides for connecting with Kayah tourism agencies.

A note from the author:

I have been implementing my ARI dream since 2015 and it has almost come true to give hope to marginalized farmers to come out from under the poverty line through encouraging, providing sustainable farming techniques, using servant leadership, and utilizing local resources. I hope that you’ll be interested to learn about the new experiences and challenges that I have faced and overcome by working with rural people, especially the farmers in my community, over the last year.