In Thailand, there are few prominent figures who hardly needs any introduction. Mechai Veravaidya, founder of the Population and Community Development Assocation (PDA), is definitely one of them, and he is indeed the only one person whose name springs to mind at the sight of a condom. For decades, he has played a pivotal role in addressing unsustainable population growth and also to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS infections through projects aimed at making contraceptives more available in Thailand.

These initiatives earned him the "Mr. Condom" sobriquet, and "The Mechai" quickly became a household name locals use to refer to condoms. Veravaidya has worked tirelessly since 1974, setting up the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) which helped to reduce Thailand's population growth from over 3% in 1974 to just 0.6% in 2005, and he has won several awards along the way, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service (1994), one of TIME Magazine's "Asian Heroes" in 2006 and the Bill and Melinda Gates Award for Global Health (2007) along the way.

Here, he talks to Oriental-Escapes.com about his old and new initiatives and the trials and tribulations of a philanthropist in Thailand.

YOU ARE TAKING A LESS ACTIVE ROLE NOW IN RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL. AS THE PROJECT'S INITIATOR, DO YOU FEEL ALL YOUR GOALS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED?

Thailand in the early 1970s was a very different place. When I was working for the government, I first noticed that women in the rural provinces were having approximately 7 children per family. Furthermore, a doctor had to prescribe the birth control pill, but there was only 1 doctor for every 110,000 rural Thais. Since women did not have access to contraception, the high amount of children being born was hindering Thailand from reaching its full potential. By instituting voluntary and community-based family planning programs, we were able to conduct a nation-wide campaign of promoting birth control. Thailand and The Philippines were very similar in population during the 1970s, but now Thailand has around 65 million people and The Philippines has over 90 million, and they struggle to provide basic infrastructure and services to their people. We feel that our goals were achieved in family planning, which is why our organization has evolved over time to address new challenges.

YOU ARE NOW DEVOTING MORE TIME TO PROVIDE EDUCATION FOR THE RURAL POOR THROUGH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES SUCH AS THE MECHAI PATTANA SCHOOL OR THE GREEN VILLAGE TOY LIBRARY. WHAT FUELED YOU TO MAKE THIS MOVE??

When I was a boy, I was lucky enough to have parents and the financial means to get a first-rate education. Unfortunately, most Thai children do not have these opportunities, especially those in the rural provinces. That is why we created the Mechai Pattana School (or the Bamboo School) to show that any child can reach their full potential if they are given the chance to succeed. The school is located 4 hours from Bangkok in Buriram province, and tuition cost no money, but the children repay in community service. We also endeavor to create good citizens rather than just intelligent ones - smart people often tend to be crooks. The Toy Library program is a way for Thai children to learn about the importance of philanthropy. Privileged urban children can give toys to the rural areas, and the children in villages can borrow the toys in exchange for community service. It's a great and simple way to teach children about the joys of giving, and I've pretty much given up on trying to teach adults the importance of philanthropy.

IT HAS BEEN DECADES OF HARD WORK THROUGH AND THROUGH FOR YOU. WHAT REWARD/PRIDE DO YOU TAKE IN DOING ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR RURAL THAILAND?

For all of our work in rural Thailand, the most important factor was getting the community involved in the development process. Some NGOs adopt a "neo-colonialist" model where they approach villagers and begin dictating what changes will be made in the community. Everything we have done directly involves feedback and participation from the villagers. I am glad that we have succeeded, but there is still much work to do, particularly in terms of improving education in Thailand.

IN YOUR VIEW, WHAT IS THE "PERFECT" THAILAND AND HOW LONG WILL THE JOURNEY TAKE ie. WHAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ERADICATE POVERTY?

I speak with a lot of members of the business community to encourage them to do more to help Thailand. Many people feel that the government can satisfy all the needs of the people and eradicate poverty. However, this is not true in Western countries, and it is certainly not true in Thailand. We all need to do our part.

WHAT MORE CAN THE GOVERNMENT DO TO SUPPORT ACTIVE NGO'S SUCH AS THE PDA?

I have served with many Prime Ministers and in the Senate over the years, but I always felt that the government is a bit slow in implementing new policies to address current problems. That is why I learned early on to be a changemaker through a non-governmental organization rather than a politician. When requested, I meet with many members of the Thai government from time to time to provide guidance and suggestions, but we don't receive any financial support from any of the ministries. The best thing a government can do to support philanthropy is to have tax laws that encourage donations, so that wealthy individuals can deduct their donations from their income or corporate taxes. This has worked well in the USA, and the Thai government recently approved a 200% tax deduction for five schools (the Mechai Pattana School is one of them). Incentives like this are a powerful way to promote philanthropy.

WE KNOW THAT EVEN YOUR GRAND-CHILDREN ARE SPONSORING A VILLAGE THROUGH THE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP SCHEME. HOW MUCH MONEY IS REQUIRED TO DO THIS AND WHAT DOES THIS ENTAIL?

Our Village Development Partnership program has been going on for about 25 years, and it addresses the root cause of many social ills: poverty. The poor are business people like many of us, but they often don't succeed due to a lack of business skills and access to credit. By facilitating small loans and a training program, which we call the Barefoot MBA, we can improve the quality of life in rural villages. This program is evolving into what we call the School-Based Integrated Rural Development (or School-BIRD), where rural schools serve as a hub for economic and social advancement and are a lifelong learning center for the entire community.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECT, BUSINESS FOR RURAL EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD. (BREAD)

Like Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant, BREAD is one of our business arms that supports our educational and philanthropic endeavors. We started it in 2009 with all profits directly benefiting our Mechai Pattana School. BREAD offers a wide range of handicrafts, services, and our jasmine rice, which we call "School Rice", since it is grown in the area around our school. We cannot count on the generosity of donors and grant makers forever, which is why it is essential for non-profits to have profitable social enterprises to support themselves. This ensures financial sustainability for NGOs.

DO YOU EVER HAVE THOSE MOMENTS WHEN YOU FEEL AS IF YOU'RE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE? HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THESE "BREAKDOWNS" ?

You just have to try harder and take "No!" as a question. When HIV/AIDS first appeared in Thailand in the 1980s, I tried to get the government's help to spread the message, but they turned me away for fear of scaring off tourists. Rather than sulking, I approached the Thai military who wanted to make sure their young servicemen were not contracting the disease. The Thai military allowed me to use their radio and TV stations to inform the Thai public about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. If you run into resistance, you just need to try another route.

I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF THE POWERS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING. HOW TWITTER AND FACEBOOK-SAVVY ARE YOU?

I have an iPad2, so I'm definitely getting accustomed to navigating everything out there. My directors and staff provide me a lot of guidance on how to use the newest technologies, and every day I learn something new.

Mechai Veravaidya with "Mr. Condom"

A local tends to her mushroom farm

Mechai Veravaidya

Students at the Green Village Toy Library