World Refugee Day 2012 – Educating Future Leaders On The Thai Burma Border

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA Thai Burma Border Project Officer, Zoë Bedford, explains why she is so passionate about working with Burmese refugees at the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth (SSSNY).

The students at SSSNY are adult students. They have come from arduous environments – some have lived for a time in Thailand as migrant workers, some are new to Thailand having just come out of Shan State for the program. They are a mix of young men and young women from 18 to their mid 20s.

Photos from our projects

Big thanks to Christine W for this post. Christine was here with us last week as a work experience student.

TIMOR-LESTE

These women from Uatiliana village in Timor-Leste, began learning to read and write in their native Tetum one year ago. After starting with the basics, the 15 women, including a mother and daughter, are now learning local place names and other essentials for daily life.

THAI-BURMA BORDER

Mae La Oo Camp

Mae Ra Moe Camp

Tens of thousands of refugees live in these camps on the Thai-Burma border . The conditions are cramped and there is little to do. All structures need to be non-permanent (made of bamboo and natural material). The camps have been there for over 25 years.  For the babies born in the camps this has been their only home.

VIETNAM

APEHDA and the national institute of Labour protection formally launched the Vietnam Asbestos Disease Prevention Project on 8th February 2010. Vietnam continues to use asbestos extensively putting workers at risk of asbestos disease. This project will establish a permanent National Resource Centre to produce research, conduct health checks for at risk workers and promote protective equipment and alternatives.

MIDDLE EAST

APHEDA supports health care for the elderly Palestinian residents of Bourj Al-Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon.

Health on the Thai Burma Border

Thai Burma Border Project Officer, Zoë Bedford, blogs from her monitoring visit to the Mae Tao Clinic.

The Mae Tao Clinic is changing before my very eyes, there are new buildings being built old ones being re-arranged. But one thing that has not changed is the thousands of patients.

Children, elderly people, men, women and families all milling about the clinic’s compound waiting to access the only health services they can. Today was baby vaccination day and so there were hundreds of people with their small babies waiting for the vaccination and general baby health check.

Worryingly the Mae Tao Clinic is facing a dire funding shortage this year. This funding shortage is affecting the baby care program. The Mae Tao Clinic used to provide supplementary feeding to malnourished children but is unable to do this if no donor will step in and fill the funding shortage. This could mean that babies and young children could die of treatable illness, which, in my opinion, is the worst kind of tragedy.