Burmese Refugee Youth Prevent Addiction & Violence

It’s been about a year and a half since we started our Migrantland project. We are proud and happy to say that in that time, thanks to all of you and a few strategic donors, DARE Network was able to purchase the land near Pho Phra, where the Migrant Worker community lives and works. Then, with the help of a Canadian donor, the British Columbia Government Employees Union, we are nearing the completion of our new Migrant Worker Training/Treatment House.

A reminder that there are over 2 million migrant workers from Myanmar in Thailand, who are coerced, exploited and abused by their “owners” and the Thai police. Many are stateless and come to Thailand to prevent their families from starving in Myanmar.

In April, we will begin our Migrant Addiction Worker training. When the rains come in May we will plant Moringa trees on the rest of the land to expand our Social Enterprise, MoringAid. www.moringaidare.com

Now we are spending some time negotiating with the Thai Authorities to approve the training project and to offer security to our trainers, trainees and clients. It is challenging.

Please see the photos of the Training/Treatment House going up.

Thanks to all of you from your friends at DARE Network

Links:

• DARE Network website
• DARE Network social enterprise website

In 2007 UNHCR, the Thailand Government and countries around the world resettled 80,000 people from the refugee camps on the Thai/Myanmar Border. Since that time, the camps are again full holding well over 100,000 people. Once more, a resettlement program is underway. As last time, the best and the brightest are the first to sign up, which includes many of our DARE Network Addiction Workers. The United States is the destination country.

Alas, not everyone gets to start a new life in a third country and if the Thai Government doesn’t practice refoulement, it is likely the camps will fill again, given the current war in Myanmar and the devastating effect on the people there.

The resettlement of refugees takes time. DARE Network will take this time to ensure that our best and brightest can train the next generation of Addiction Workers, before they leave. We are not sure what will happen to the camps, but we do know that we will endeavor to ensure Mae La Refugee Camp and Mae Ra Moo Refugee Camp and our Karen State Program will continue to provide addiction treatment and prevention education to families in need.

In addition, DARE Network has been successful in obtaining the land for its Migrant Worker program and Moringa Social Enterprise, putting these two projects together for sustainability.

Our next step in response to the coming situation is to build a Training House on our newly acquired land to start to train addiction workers for wherever they are needed. Our goal for 2024 is to build up our capacity in the face of the losses of resettlement, while we wish our workers the very best for their new life in America.

We want to thank everyone who contributed to our Migrantland project on GlobalGiving. Some individuals made extraordinary efforts on behalf of DARE Network because they recognize the potential of our work and appreciate its impact.

Thanks to all who support us and we hope you will continue to do so. It is so helpful in a time where the people of Myanmar have been forgotten once again.