Aiding Burmese Migrant Children & Their Families in Thailand
Peace Winds is grateful to the donors who supported our 2024 mini-campaign for Burmese students who have fled to Thailand. Currently, Peace Winds is working with teachers and staff at Kwe Ka Buang Learning Center to deploy the donations. The school’s intention is to use these funds to subsidize meals for students living in the dormitories–who now only get 2 meals per day–and to cover its basic operating costs, including water and electricity bills. We look forward to bringing an update on those activities soon.
Last year, donors also made it possible for Peace Winds to distribute four months’ worth of hygiene supplies to 2,000 migrant students in Thai community schools in Tak Province, including Kwe Ka Buang Learning Center. Hygiene kits included soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, and sanitary products. As violence in Burma continues, more and more people are fleeing to Thailand. UN agencies and aid organizations are providing rice and other basic food on an ad-hoc basis; however, there is a shortage of hygiene products. One clinic in Tak Province reported that many patients are affected by gum disease due to a lack of proper teeth brushing.
Hygiene kits (including toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc) distributed to Burmese students in Thailand
Peace Winds’ work in Thailand also encompasses a case management program benefitting Burmese women and children who have fled into the country. Many of them end up in rural villages with limited access to education, childcare, healthcare, or other support services. The challenge is exacerbated by the fact that many Burmese migrants do not speak Thai. When their children are born, many parents do not obtain birth certificates, leaving them “stateless” and unable to go to Thai schools or access complete medical care.
In partnership with local organizations, Peace Winds has begun holding workshops and consultations for Burmese migrant parents. Staff explain how to navigate administrative matters such as birth registration and school enrollment, as well as when and how to receive vaccinations. Mothers who participate in the program also serve as mentors for their peers, helping raise awareness in the entire community.
Looking forward, Peace Winds will launch new support activities for community schools in March 2025, and we will continue to support Burmese children and their families in Thailand and elsewhere throughout the coming year. To donate to Peace Winds’ programming in Thailand, please visit our GlobalGiving page here. We appreciate your continued support.