Welcome to The River

The River Team is a continually expanding group of men and women (presently in excess of 50 people), mainly Thai-born, but also several other nationalities, all sharing a heart to facilitate the healing of communities environmentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The River Team was established and continues to by Erik and Mariaana Klar, who have been serving in Thailand since 1993. The base for the River Team is in Hang Dong, Northern Thailand. It has extension works spanning the nation and beyond. Short-term and long-term volunteers and trainees are welcomed to strengthen the work of the Team.

The River Team works in the delivery of training and in community development work, connecting  closely with the local government departments in order to empower the local communities to identify their specific felt needs and to facilitate the implementation of sustainable solutions to these needs. By adopting this approach, The River Team is viewed by the community leaders as credible and instrumental in assisting the development of the communities!  The River community transformation projects are already underway in nearly 20 localities, with Thai nationals responsible and actively involved in panning and implementation of each work.

The River also runs a coffee shop in the market place, a training and convention centre with a 28- room accommodation facility, 2 conference rooms, and swimming pool – all in the centre of Hang Dong. These facilities are open all-year round to the general public. The convention centre facilities are run solely by The River Team, providing opportunities for hands-on training in hospitality, business, grounds and vehicle management, English & Thai language learning, etc, for the local people. These facilities also assist The River Centre in its goal to become self-supporting. All the profits from these facilities are invested directly into The River Centre’s training and community development projects.

Follow this blog to receive weekly updates of the extensive and impacting work of The River Team.