project development
designing the box
We designed the Jungle Box with various specific purposes in mind. We started by brainstorming with our team, including the village rep, a doctor, a pharmacist, those of us who will transport the boxes on foot, as well as the users themselves.
We decided to build a model or a rough replica of the Jungle Box, starting by gathering materials: plastic sheets for the pockets, fabric for the backbone of the box, thread to secure the pockets, and adhesive.
We decided to use a 1:2 scale. For the model, we included the middle section, the two horizontal flaps and the downward flap. For the pockets - that will carry most of the medication - we cut up plastic sheets into small squares and sealed the bottom with thick thread. On the left flap protruding from the centre of the box, we also included an elongated mesh pocket to put any large medication that might not fit into the small pockets.
After finishing the model, Dante was assigned to make its drawing using Google sketch up. He was also given the job of Logo design. We finalized the design by eliminating the downward flap to make sure the box does not take up too much space. In the computer design, we calculated the amount of pockets needed and how long or wide each pocket should be.
We then sent the final design to manufacturers with details of the dimensions of the box, the color and the material used.
selecting medications
We made our selection of medicines carefully so as to make sure they will be necessary and safe enough to use for the villagers, preventing the possibility of misuse or its adverse effects. As mentioned earlier, we have categorized our medication into groups as follows:
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Medicines/Pills
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General/Symptomatic:
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Nervous/Endocrine System
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Circulatory System
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Respiratory System
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Digestive and Excretory System
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Reproductive/Gynecological System
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Muscular and Skeletal Systems
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Integumentary (Skin) System
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Dental
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Vitamins and Supplements
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Herbal Medication
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First Aid Medication
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Equipment
Next is the process of sourcing. We will purchase them from wholesalers or manufacturers to make sure the pricing and quality is right.
compiling medicine instructions and other manuals
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Medicine Manual
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Basic/Diagnostic Methods (a Manual that contains instructions for how to use basic equipment
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First Aid Manual (Procedures and how to use medication)
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Natural Disaster Procedures Manual
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Wellbeing Manual
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Water Filtration System
To ensure the wellbeing of the villagers in the long run, we have consulted villages about the problems that they face regularly. With that in mind, we have searched the Internet and compiled a comprehensive list of manuals and templates that address these issues and will help villagers prepare themselves for such situations. We will also provide training for first aid and usage of basic equipment.
organizing the medicine storage system
The medicine storage system was designed to ensure ease of use for the villagers and to minimize the likelihood of misplacement and misuse. The full Jungle Box Package consists of the Jungle Box, a collapsible box, and a string bag.
The medicines and equipment are categorized into seven general groups of items that are color coded and grouped together, depending on the nature of their application and usage. The items are also labeled with their number and instructions on how to use as well as the color codes, and are stored in their respective pouches on the Jungle Box.There will be an easy-to-follow link between 4 main parts: The medicine directory, the pouch numbers, the manual, and the medicines themselves. This will enable users to identify the medicines easily and without any problem with any medicine being misplaced or misused.
training to become a trainer
Before being able to train the villagers, we have to be qualified as a trainer first. We thus had set up a training session where we ourselves were the first set of people to be trained. Our training focuses mainly on first aid , but we will also be trained on basic health care, the use of equipment and its result interpretation, and how to set up and maintain the filtration system.
SELECTING VILLAGES
Our process of village selection is done through careful consideration in order to make sure we have provided the medicines to the one who are really in need of them. Our choosing criteria fall primarily on the accessibility of the villages as much as the availability of village reps who are able to administer those medicines with sufficient knowledge and understanding.
Our project mostly targets villages in the Northern part of Thailand, as these villages are mostly located in mountainous areas where transportation is difficult up to impassable, especially in the rainy season. Nevertheless, we also consider the villages in the 3 provinces in the Southernmost part of Thailand as well, as these villages are prone to risk of being attacked by terrorists.
Yet we aim at helping villages outside of Thailand as well, with our plan now included Myanmar and Nepal.
fund raising
Last but not least, our additional plan is fund raising, which is one of the most important things to help make our project viable. Our project goal is to reassure people that what they have given will reach those they want to give to, so most of the time, it will be us who give our medicine sets to the villages and set up and install the jungle boxes by ourselves. This is how we have gained trust from our donors and contributors and we have been able to raise up to USD 39,000 in one year (2018-2019).
Currently, as we have found out that more villages are in need of medicines and that our Jungle Box set has become very useful to the villagers as well as the healthcare officer, we have decided to expand our project to 200 medicine sets and are now working with our generous sponsors (who are global organizations and company CSRs) to make it viable. We are also raising funds with general public through Indiegogo, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.