Child Protection Thailand Project #6832

Burmese Refugee Youth Prevent Addiction & Violence

by DARE Network (Drug and Alcohol Recovery and Education Network)

Burmese Refugee Youth Prevent Addiction & Violence

Project Report | Dec 27, 2012
Burma Facts and Myths

By Pam Rogers | Capacity Advisor/Addiction Trainer

Running from the Burmese Army

Burma Facts:

For the last 60+ years civilians in Burma have been attacked by the Burmese Junta controlled army
The ethnic people of Burma have be murdered, tortured, used for forced labour and human landmine clearing
For over 35 years ethnic peoples of Burma have been forced to run for their lives to closed refugee camps on the Thai/Burma Border
Thousands of children have been born in these camps and have never been outside them
Culture has broken down and domestic violence is common
50-80% of camp families have alcohol abuse problems

Refugee Camp Facts:

70% of Burmese Refugee Youth use alcohol and drugs
Alcohol and drugs are cheap
Refugee youth as young as 14 years old inject opium
Gang violence in the refugee camps sends 347 young people to the hospital each month
Girls are leaving their traditional roles to take up smoking and drinking
Unprotected sex between refugee teenagers as a result of alcohol use results in pregnancies and HIV. This completely breaks their cultural values

DARE Facts

Over 12 years DARE Network has provided prevention education and/or treatment to over 80,000 people
DARE Network’s treatment success rate is 63%, double western standards
DARE Network is a culturally appropriate, non-medical program run by the refugees for the refugees
DARE Network’s program for youth saves lives

Burma Myths:

Life is now better in Burma and the refugees can go home

Burma Facts:

Their still is no Peace in the ethnic areas of Burma
The refugee camps endure with less funding, less resources and more need

You can help. Give a recurring donation today to DARE Network’s youth programs

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/burmese-refugee-youth-prevent-addiction-and-violence/

Get your donation matched by GlobalGiving and secure $500. Bonus Funds for DARE. The Recurring Donation Campaign ends at Midnight on December 31st. You still have time to help. Please do it today.

Forced Labour

Villages burned. Families lost.

Everything gone.

Barbed wire refugee camp fences

Burmese Refugee Camp Life

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