The Nan Concern Project works with Hmong youth in ten villages, giving them the skills and knowledge to enable them to participate in the prevention and reduction of HIV/AIDS, drug and other social problems in their communities.

Over the last six years more than a thousand people have participated in the project's trainings on drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, gender and sexuality, and environmental preservation. 

As hill-tribe villages move from a primarily subsistence way of life to a cash economy, their communities face a rash of problems: poverty, a lack of citizenship and education, and a loss of traditional values and culture. The villages in this region have also been heavily impacted by the opium trade. During the Thai Government’s war on drugs many members of the community were killed while others still remain imprisoned.

Orphaned children are brought up by extended families or sent to hostels in the cities. Away from their homes, these children lose contact with their traditional cultures and are much more vulnerable to high-risk behaviour including prostitution, and the increasingly popular use of amphetamines.

Youth groups organize activities within their communities to help address these problems. For example, group leaders and volunteers regularly visit six families affected by HIV/AIDS to encourage them and to ensure they are receiving adequate support.

The youth also receive training to improve their vocational skills and encourage them to stay in their villages rather than move to the cities. Village groups are given cattle loans, and receive training in how to feed and care for them, check their health, and diagnose and treat illnesses with traditional herbs.

In 2005 a planning and evaluation conference gave youth from all the participating villages the chance to share their experiences working on HIV/AIDS and drug issues, and to plan for future projects.