The development of community empowerment format, social monitoring and aiding people who are economically and socially affected by COVID-19 pandemic: Khlong Toei Railway Junction

Abstract

Abstract

The objective of this research article is to develop a community empowerment format for the Khlong Toei Railway Junction community that enables social monitoring and aiding people who are economically and socially affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Said development is conducted through action research, collecting data from interviews, observations, document analysis. During community forum discussions, an analysis is conducted on in-depth data from subject matters derived during each discussions that involve actions conducted with community members including community leaders, volunteers, groups, organizations and networks inside and outside the community. Then, the data is presented in a descriptive manner. The research results found that plan on incident encounter and handling pandemic at community level of railsides consist of 3 main plans: plan on urgent aiding for vulnerable groups in the community, plan on impact reduction through vocational support, and plan on protection and monitoring system. This is done by the process of community empowering consists of 5 steps: 1. Diagnosing; 2. Collaborative action planning; 3. Collaborative action taking; 4. Evaluation;
5. Specifying learning from problem solving process and collaborative community transition. Proposition for relevant sectors: Through action research, for work procedures, community must adhere to principles of action planning together with community operators to collaboratively search for problem solving guideline that will create change process that would solve the community’s problems. It is found that during the problem solving and creating change process of the community, there is evident of lesson learned on problem solving process and creating change process conducted in the community.

Keywords: community empowerment, action research, social monitoring system, COVID-19 pandemic