The official opening ceremony of the project "Supporting Education in Myanmar Refugee Camps," under the Grant Assistance for the Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP Scheme), coordinated by ZOA Refugee Care Thailand, took place at Nupo Refugee Camp, Um Phang District of Tak province on June 12, 2007. Mr. Jun Yamada, Minister of the Embassy of Japan, attended the ceremony.
Since 1984 Myanmar refugees have been flooding into Thailand. The total is now more than 150,000 and the inflow is still continuing.
Since 1997 ZOA Refugee Care Thailand has been running several programs, such as education from kindergarten to Grade 10 level and special schools which provide language, communication skills and management courses, and so on, as well as education centers which carry out teacher training and the preparation of curricula and education materials in seven Karen refugee camps along the Myanmar border. In 2006 more than 40,000 students were educated in this way.
Due to a prohibition on the use of durable construction materials, ZOA's school buildings are made from disposable materials such as wood, bamboo and leaves, which then have to be rebuilt or repaired frequently.
At the request of ZOA Refugee Care Thailand, the Japanese government provided a grant for the reconstruction of 14 and the repair of 89 school buildings in Mae Ra Ma Luamg refugee camp and Mae La Oon refugee camp in Mae Hong Son province; Mae La refugee camp, Nupo refugee camp, and Umphiem refugee camp in Tak province; Ban Don Yang refugee camp in Kanchanaburi province; and Tham Hin refugee camp in Ratchaburi province. The total grant assistance amounted to ThB 3,887,000.
It was permitted by the Thai government that some of new school buildings used durable construction materials.
Through this assistance, the education of the children in refugee camps can be continued.
The Japanese Government is ready to consider providing further support to projects which benefit human security through the GGP scheme.
For more information about GGP, please contact:
Mr. Hitoshi Takezume, First Secretary
and Ms. Ashida, Staff
Embassy of Japan,
177 Witthayu Road, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
Telephone: 02-207-8500 / 02-696-3000 ext. 514, 558 Facsimile: 02-207-8517