Until the opening of the Learning Center, there were no educational facilities for Burmese children in the Kuraburi area. Your donation helps provide affordable education, food, and transportation to the Burmese Learning Center’s children.
Learn More about the Burmese Learning Center
Fundraising Campaign Goal: $40000 | Raised so far: $16500
$200 pays for one year tuition
For one month:
$15 transports one student – $20 buys a student lunch
$85 pays for the utilities – $350 pays a teacher salary
ABOUT THE CENTER
The North Andaman Region of Southern Thailand is home to a large population of Burmese migrant workers who come with the hope of finding a living wage and a better way of life. Burmese children often find themselves living as second class citizens without the money to afford basic fees for enrollment, uniforms, and transportation to school.
Their parents are often poorly educated themselves and fear discrimination, arrest, and even deportation. They are often not able to help their children who have no legal access to the Thai education system. The unfortunate result is that many of them work with their parents as child laborers, to bring much needed income into the family home.
The Burmese Learning Center is equipped to provide education for 80 Burmese migrant children living in the Kuraburi district of Phang Nga Province. Here students receive education from dedicated teachers and visiting volunteers which provides them with hope for a better future. We are changing parents’ perspectives regarding their children’s education by proving that furthering their education makes a difference. By facilitating their integration into secondary Burmese and Thai school systems, we will provide them with better job opportunities in the future.
Your donation helps provide affordable education, food, and transportation to Burmese migrant children. This effectively supports their families by relieving the financial burden of these unaffordable but essential academic skills. As a result projects like this elevate an entire generation to new potential, and go a long way to empowering the migrant Burmese community. Any donation amount is appreciated and greatly helps us achieve our goal of continuing to operate the school for these children.
HISTORY
Until the opening of the Learning Center in 2007, there were no educational facilities for Burmese children in the Kuraburi area. There were more than one hundred children from ages two to twelve living at the Kuraburi fishing pier, all of whom stayed at home or worked at fisheries.
The Foundation for Education and Development (FED), a Thai NGO run by Burmese, opened a small make shift school near the Kuraburi Pier. Dedicated staff provided education for children who would otherwise be denied this privilege. They delivered interesting and engaging lessons in a challenging environment with very limited resources.
In 2009 Andaman Discoveries became aware of the center’s need for volunteers. Through their operations as a volunteering based tour provider, AD began to send interested guests to volunteer at the center for weeks at a time. The Volunteers conduct lessons in English and help the teachers learn new methods of teaching a foreign language, to keep the students active, engaged and confident interacting with foreigners. FED has successfully integrated Burmese students into Thai schools to help them further their education, and returning to Burma with an education certificate is an admirable goal.
CURRENT SITUATION
In 2011 both Andaman Discoveries and FED recognized a dire need for a new location for the learning center, as the conditions at the school by the pier had degraded substantially. Andaman Discoveries began to use its extensive network to find sources of funding to help the learning center. AD was also able to receive funding for the purchase of land and construction of a new school building from donors. In June of 2012 the construction was completed and the school was proud to offer classes according to the Burmese curriculum as well as lessons in Thai and English language.
Shortly after the school opened, new needs arose and more funds were raised. The kitchen and dining area was completed in February of 2013, providing a safe and dry place for the school lunch. Additions like a secure fence and playground are still needed.
Even with the opening of Burma, the influx of migrant workers continue. The working conditions for many parents of these children can be life-threatening. While prejudice remains, living standards in Thailand for this population are inferior.
YOUR HELP
Having now seen the success of the learning center in providing so many children with an education, it is necessary to secure the long term sustainability and security of this education facility. FED has since had to raise its annual tuition, used for operational costs, causing some students to drop out. With the recent opening of Myanmar (formerly Burma) much of the funding for Burmese related projects has shifted out of Thailand.
To continue the good work of this center we are seeking to raise funds to cover the operating costs and keep students in school. Without a teacher in the classroom, the school cannot open. A running school bus is vital for a population with bicycles as their only means of transportation. A healthy lunch can be the only incentive for some families to send their children to school. These basic costs are at risk.
We hope that you will be interested to help Burmese migrant children, a marginalized population living in poverty, deprived of education and comprised by difficult living conditions. Education is the solution to help this population achieve future success and sustainability!
Additional Information
For the latest Donor News:
Kuraburi Burmese Learning Center Donor Update March 2015
Kuraburi Burmese Learning Center Donor Update August 2014
Kuraburi Burmese Learning Center Donor Update April 2014
For more information on the conditions of Burmese Migrant Workers in Thailand please see the follow:
Forced to Fish
ILO: Harsh conditions on Thai trawlers
Burmese ‘slavery’ fishermen are trafficked and abused
Over 2,000 migrant workers file labor grievances
