Hello Friends,
These Burmese refugees from Myanmar need our help to get educational access.
What chance do they have in life without language skills? Without an education?
They are living beside a landfill and aren't yet able to go to the local schools in Koh Phangan, Thailand. 12 children have never been to school before in this group of families. 3 children are attending. The adults also need to learn the local language (Thai) and English.
I joined an initiative called Open Heart Share-ity, which has been providing educational access, clothes, and food to these refugee families for well over a year. The goal has been to open an educational center to give them access since they've not been successful enrolling in school.
We meet weekly with families to teach them English, math, music, yoga, dance, art, and circus skills on a voluntary basis. It's been a collaboration between many volunteers organized mostly by a lovely Russian woman named Ekaterina, who had to leave due to a family emergency. I've taken over organizing volunteers and teaching most of the lessons for the past 7 weeks.
I want to practice my fledgling activism skills to get these kids enrolled in schools. I found Blue Owl School, a free school for people from Myanmar who may be able to enroll them beginning in July but need fundraising for transportation costs. And I want to keep organizing volunteers and teaching whole families every Sunday because learning together helps everyone. The single biggest influence on a child's education is having parents who care about the child's education. I want to continue teaching families, especially through play, song, and dance. I want to continue teaching important life skills about consent, enforcing boundaries, problem-solving through Nonviolent Communication, standing up for what one believes in, emotional intelligence and resilience, etc
In order to secure my ability to continue working in Thailand with these families, I need to renew my volunteer visa. It costs 25,000 baht ($707) to help me continue to be their advocate for the next year. To provide the legal permission I need to work here as a volunteer and a way to stay. I am committed to finding them educational access however I can: try to get them enrolled in schools, problem-solve barriers, and keep teaching and organizing volunteers every week to keep them learning the whole time.
Scholarship fundraising for this provides an educational advocate commitment for our families from Myanmar for 1 year and a scholarship for activism in action. Currently at 70% of the fundraising goal.
What do you think of this project?
Would you like to help in some way?
Openheartshareity.com/
https://www.facebook.com/106297882129117/posts/106313828794189/