The ‘Three Musketeers’ of Narathiwat: One WE Centre, three causes, one promise

Author: Montira Narkvichien

In Narathiwat, one of Thailand’s three Southern Border Provinces, safety is not only about what happens outside a door. It is also about whether you feel welcome once you step through it.

That is the shared vision behind the UN Women Women’s Empowerment and Learning Centre (WE Centre), co-founded by three local change-makers self-dubbed the “Three Musketeers”: Apichaya Chaichana, 41, a disability rights and social justice activist; Maruf Chebueraheng, 35, a cybersecurity enthusiast; and Ameenoh Arong, 36, an artist and media enthusiast.

Although they came to the WE Centre with different causes, they now work with one purpose: to build an inclusive community space where women and vulnerable groups can learn, connect and lead.

“The most important thing is that when people come here, they must feel that this place is safe,” says Maruf. “Theirs should not be a one-time visit where they leave and never return. We want them to come back and change.”

Maruf explains that people must feel, from the moment they arrive, that the space is women-friendly and non-judgmental. In practice, that means programming shaped by what women and community members say they need, and a space that feels like it belongs to them.

Apichaya brings the lens of disability rights, reminding the team that safety also means access. If a space is not designed for wheelchair users, older persons or people with mobility challenges, then it quietly excludes them. The WE Centre in Narathiwat aims to break that pattern through universal design and by intentionally welcoming those who are often homebound because public spaces are hard to navigate.

Together, they are building a Centre where access is not an add-on. It is part of the Centre’s identity.

Three focus areas, one shared mission

The WE Centre’s direction brings the founders’ three priorities into a single community space:

First: inclusion and empowerment for women with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Apichaya says the Centre aims to make participation visible and normal, allowing women with disabilities to meet, build confidence, exchange knowledge and access opportunities, including livelihoods.

“Outside the home, I find that public spaces are still not accessible in terms of universal design and barrier-free environments,” says Apichaya.

Second: creativity and youth-led social change. Ameenoh’s vision turns the Centre into a living community space, animated by rotating activities that encourage connection. She imagines a monthly calendar shaped by community voices: workshops such as flower-arranging, not only as a skills-building activity but also as a gentle pathway to mental well-being, healing and peer support.

“We want to use activities as a tool to create opportunities for people to meet and talk in this space. We want to make it a community space,” says Ameenoh.

She also sees the Centre as a home for film and documentary screenings, followed by discussions that create dialogue on community issues. She also plans to invite artists and facilitators to run short courses, including sessions for children and youth.

Third: digital well-being and cybersecurity. Maruf says the Centre can host training on cybersecurity and digital literacy, offering practical support for people who experience harm online.

Individually, these areas might sit in separate programmes. At the WE Centre, they become one story: building confidence, skills and protection so women and community members can participate in public life, offline and online.

A community hub, not just a venue

The co-founders emphasize that activities should not be imposed from the outside. Programming must rotate and adapt, guided by users’ feedback and interests. One week the space might host local cooking and skills-sharing. Another week it might host a learning session, a children’s activity on equality, or a community discussion. The aim is to make the Centre more than a coffee-shop-style gathering point. It is a community engine.

The “Three Musketeers” are united by a practical belief: community change begins when people have somewhere safe to gather, learn and grow. The WE Centre is their shared answer to that need.