Pa Daeng Phrao. Cooperative Weaving Group

A women’s cooperative weaving group has been set up in Pa Daeng village in Phrao northern Thailand. The Pa Deang village weaving group is run by Maechee Pranorn, a nun of the temple in Mae Pang.

Pa Daeng Village Women’s Weaving Group is reviving the neglected art of weaving.

Maechee Pranorn began the Village Women Weaving Group with five women members of the Pa Daeng temple. They saw the need for the village women to develop a skill which had been practiced in the past, but over the years weaving has been neglected. Maechee Pranorn hoped that the weaving group would help the women gain an income and independence within their community.

A weaving expert from Lamphun has been teaching the women of Pa Daeng techniques to weave modern designs into their cloth. The weaving group began by making shawls in Pa Daeng temple, after being given permission by the abbot of Mae Pang sub-district, Phrao. The weaving group, which consists mostly of elderly women who also take care of their grandchildren, will continue to weave at the temple until they receive support to move into their own premises.

This project will alleviate poverty in the 54 families of this community. The determined women now have support of the province and the EU weaving project associated with the Chiang Mai University has provided technical know how on raising eri silk worms. Please contact Mrs. Hope Watcharaprecha in Chiangmai at Tel.  66 53 262691 or siamty@cm.ksc.co.th.