PIN PRAK 

Prak’s role involves supporting community workshops to understand some of the challenges the people in Pu Ngaol face. Outside of the workshops, Prak produces case studies to support university students across the globe to promote their learning and understanding of Indigenous communities.

About 

Prak’s close involvement with the people in Pu Ngaol means he hears first hand about the daily challenges the community experiences such as a lack of sanitation and clean water and poor education. He highlights that a priority for the village is tackling low educational attainment, specifically for the younger generations. Prak shares that the community would like to see better access to travel, food and collecting resources, whilst appropriately maintaining their culture and traditions.

In recent years, the climate emergency has posed a threat to the community as unpredictable weather has caused flooding and droughts over large areas of land, leading to reduced crop growth. A fundamental crop grown in Pu Ngaol is rice, which the local community rely on as a major source of food. Although the impact of the climate and biodiversity crisis has been proven, traditional practices and spiritual beliefs provide alternative views on the reasoning of the decrease in crop growth. 

People in Pu Ngaol must travel greater distances to collect timber as a consequence of excessive logging in the area. People are reluctant to permanently relocate from Pu Ngaol due to the cultural value and significance they place on their land. Prak suggests that technology could play a role in supporting the local economy and bring in greater opportunities for trade to the area.

Issues and Ideas

• Many residents are guided by methods and practices that their ancestors followed. Prak would like to see education initiatives to support the community in adopting alternative solutions alongside their traditional approaches. What ideas can you come up with to improve communication and co-creation of appropriate technology in Pu Ngaol?

• The climate emergency has led to a reduction in crops, meaning more people could suffer from malnutrition or starvation. Can you think of any ideas for supporting climate resilient and regenerative agriculture and food supplies in Pu Ngaol?

• Logging means villagers are forced to travel further and further each year. Could you propose any ideas to prevent over-logging in the area, while supporting access to transport and trade?

Find out more from Pin Prak in their video interview, available here.