Khamsaen Mueadkwang is a recipient of AHF Thailand’s Food for Health program. His story is next in our “I Am AHF” series featuring remarkable staff, clients, and partners who are doing what’s right to save lives everyday.
My name is Khamsaen Mueadkwang. I am 60 years old and live in Nhongwaengnoi Village in Mahasarakham, Thailand. I grew up in an agricultural community, where I helped my parents raise cattle, catch fish and take care of my younger siblings. As the eldest child, I had responsibilities from a young age.
I graduated from the sixth grade. I did not have the money to continue my education because if I went to school, no one would be there to help my parents. When I was young, life was difficult compared to today. I enjoyed running and playing sports, and deep down, I wanted to become a boxer. But I had responsibilities to my family, so I could not pursue that dream.
My mother was the most important person to me. I saw how hard she worked to make sure our family had enough to eat. When I grew up, I wanted to work and make money to help her and repay her for everything she had done for us. From her, I learned to work hard and do whatever I could so that we could survive each day.
Those responsibilities shaped the choices I made as I got older. When I was 18, I went to Bangkok to look for labor work. I worked at a metal foundry, and at 20, I began working on a fishing boat at sea. Throughout my life, I have done different kinds of work to support myself and my family.
Then I had an accident and had to have my leg amputated. My life became very difficult. I could no longer do the labor jobs I had depended on, and it became difficult to find someone willing to hire me. I had to find new ways to work that suited my physical condition.
I began raising cattle, catching fish in nearby canals and ponds and doing small agricultural jobs. I also went into the woods and rice fields to find wild mushrooms. Sometimes I found enough, but sometimes I did not. It was difficult not to have a stable income.
That changed when I had the chance to join AHF Thailand’s Food for Health program. Staff from the Peun Sampan Ban Rom Yen Volunteers Group and the Food for Health program saw my living conditions and the challenges I was facing and reached out to support me. First, they gave me layer chickens for eggs. Later, they supported me with a small mushroom cultivation house and mushroom spawn blocks.
I gained knowledge and confidence, and I found a new job—something to focus on each day that I could do from home. It gave me a sense of independence, which I thought I had lost after my accident and the loss of my leg.
Now, I grow mushrooms for my family to eat and sell some to our neighbors. The money I make helps pay for gasoline for my motorcycle, medicines and other essential expenses. Growing mushrooms also helps reduce our food expenses and gives us fresh food to eat. I believe this can become a sustainable job for me in the future.
My wife, Sumana Tusprom, is also very important to me. She takes care of me, supports me and helps me through everyday life. We help each other take care of the mushrooms and cook meals for our family.
I have not had many opportunities in my life, but I have always tried to do my best, especially in taking care of my parents. To people who are facing challenges, especially people with disabilities, I would say if you have an opportunity to improve your life, don’t let it pass you by. The Food for Health project has given me food for my family, a source of income and a way to become more independent. It is a really good opportunity to create stability for yourself and your family.
