Karen Outreach

 

Karen people have been fleeing across the 2400 km border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma) for half a century as the result of conflict and violence. Between 1994 and 1998 alone, 90,000 externally displaced people fled Myanmar.

The number of Karen living on the border is continually being increasing by newcomers. In the camps there are no jobs and people live on rations of rice, beans, salt and oil provided by non governmental (not-for-profit) organizations. In 1982, the Anglican Consultative Council asked Christ Church Bangkok to work with displaced Karen people living on the Thai side of the border.

 

Mae La Camp

Looking back over the border: Mae La Camp for Karen Refugees

on the border between Thailand and Myanmar (Burma)

 

Ongoing work with Border Karen

Straggling about four kilometers along the road leading from the town of Mae Sot, Mae La is one of the largest camps for Border Karen and home to around 50,000 people, including many children. Mae La also contains no fewer than three Anglican churches, each of which has its own pre-school. Christ Church supports three nursery schools, Emmanuel, St.John’s and Trinity, which are doing excellent work with the 250 children who attend them. Christ Church supports these schools by helping to pay staff salaries and by providing teaching materials and sleeping mats. The church also supports the clergy in the camps and surrounding area by providing a minimal living allowance and some bible teaching. There is also an orphanage in the camp which has about 50 children for whom we are able to provide clothes, food and other daily necessities.

Noh Boh Academy

Most of the funds provided by Christ Church for outreach to Border Karen are used to support Noh Bo Academy. Located on the Moei River about one hour's distance by road from Mae La, the school is so close to the border that the students can see Myanmar just over the hill. Noh Bo Academy was built in 1991 and opened officially in 1992. It offers a high school education for young people aged between 11 and 26 years, mainly from the refugee camps in the area. While some of the students are able to contribute to their school fees, Christ Church is responsible for the bulk of the day-to-day running costs and special expenses of the school. These include providing food, stationery, mosquito nets, blankets and staff costs.

Prayer and praise

Pray for the growing number of displaced people in Burma and Thailand.

Praise God for the nursery schools at Mae La camp and for Noh Bo Academy.

Pray for the teachers and helpers at Mae La camp; for the children and their families. Pray that volunteers will continue to be found to work at Noh Bo Academy.

Donations

We are asking for donations to help the work among the border Karen. Typical costs are:

 

Mae La Camp

Nursery cost per child

1600 Baht per year

Orphanage cost per child

5120 Baht per year

Noh Bo Academy

Fees for day student

6000 Baht per year

Fees for boarding student

12000 Baht per year

 

Cheques (Thai Baht only please) payable to Christ Church Refugee Account may be sent to: The Karen Education Program, Christ Church, 11 Convent Road, Bangkok 10500, Thailand.

Alternatively payments can be made direct to:

CHRIST CHURCH REFUGEE ACCOUNT

Number 001-006-59276

Standard Chartered Bank (Thai), 90 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Swift code SCBLTHBX

If paying this way, please send an email to ministries@christchurchbangkok.org telling us the amount and the date it was paid.

If you are in the United Kingdom please send pounds sterling cheques payable to "St Andrew the Great Church" to The Treasurer, St Andrew the Great, St Andrew's Street, Cambridge, CB2 3AX. If you are eligible to pay UK tax, the Treasurer can send you a Gift Aid declaration so that your tax can be claimed and added to your donation. For further information, please send an email to treasurer@stag.org.

 

 

Christ Church ministry staff, members of the congregation and visitors travel to the border area once a month, providing such items as books, writing materials, food, salaries, oil, uniforms, sports equipment, mosquito nets and toiletries. If you would like more information about this, please contact John Cooper at ministries@christchurchbangkok.org.