I am treasurer of the Hycare Club in 2024–2025 and a contributor to the dam build trip on December 16–17, 2024. Our club aims to build check dams across rural villages, reduce water-related issues like floods, and ensure the accessibility of water to locals.

For this trip, we went to Khao Yai National Park at Prachinburi to build check dams at a flood-prone stream during heavy rainfall. The heavy floods around the area destroy the homes for wildlife. Thus, building dams helps to reduce the flow of water, prevent sudden floods, and reserve water during the dry season.

This experience required our club members to work collaboratively with others—from passing along the heavy rocks, to mixing cement, and assembling the dams. Despite the challenges our club members faced during the build, like skin irritation from cement, we were highly successful in achieving our goals by the end of the day.

In addition, we spent about 8 hours building the dams and were able to finish the build on time. I’ve gained some practical skills such as how to mix cement from sand, water, and cement powder, and how to balance the weight of rocks for stability.

Personally, this experience was the most rewarding journey of my life so far. The journey gave me the opportunity to gain a deeper, more comprehensive knowledge about the restoration of ecosystems from the dams and water reservation. Moreover, it allowed me to strengthen my collaborative skills from helping other club members carry heavy rocks and switching roles while mixing cement.

My goal for this trip was to see how minor engineering solutions—such as building dams—could contribute to resolving water-related problems that affect locals. After the trip, I’ve come to value and realize how positive impact takes time and patience, and that my goal for the trip has been accomplished.

While we didn’t see an immediate impact on the environment, as we were building on a dry site, I am confident that our effort will significantly reduce the damage caused by flooding during the rainy season while reserving water for wildlife during the summer.

To conclude, I feel honored to be a part of Hycare Club and to help resolve water-related issues, knowing that my effort will make a positive impact on local communities.