Support Community Development in South-East Asia

Dear Friends, 

We hope this message finds you well wherever you are on this ever changing planet. The last few months have been a little slower than the previous ones, giving us some much needed time to catch our breath. 

Our latest project:

As promised in our last report we said we would spill the beans about our exciting new education project in Karen State in Burma/Myanmar. Pu Dooplaya Junior College (PDJC) is currently operated in Nu Poe Camp in Tak Province, Thailand and offers higher education to students from the refugee camp as well as in Karen State. There are plans to relocate the college to Htee Wa Klu village in Karen State so that they can continue to run their program training students in leadership skills. The college is fully inclusive and accepts students regardless of their religion, gender and ethnicity. A summer school programme is planned in those villages and The Branch Foundation has committed to support half of the costs to run the summer programme this year. The programme will run on a yearly basis and we are looking forward to work closely with the local team to support their amazing work on an ongoing basis.

Who are the beneficiaries? 

Twenty Five PDJC students to teach approximately five hundred village students aged between 8-14 in four locations. The students will improve their learning skills, world, civic and community knowledge and English language ability.

Expected outcomes:

• Better communication between refugee and village groups. 
• Students from PDJC, assuming role of a teacher, will know how to express and apply their knowledge. 
• Students will know how to handle problems during teaching or working with the community by applying the knowledge, skills and values that they have gained from PDJC. 
• Village students get practical language skills, knowledge and exposure.
• Village teachers get training and experience in practical teaching techniques
• To break down the misperception between refugees and communities inside Karen State.

Want to donate to this exciting project?

If you want to help us support this refugee leadership and education project you can easily do so by donating to our Global Giving project. As before our Global Giving project is a collection pot from which we fund all of our education projects. 

What else has been happening?

Preparations for our Annual General meeting are well underway as we are now in the new 2019/2020 financial year. We have already conducted meetings with our managerial team and it was collectively decided that after a few years of working behind the scenes that Iona will be once again taking a more active role in the organisation. If you have any questions please contact her directly at: ionaproebst@thebranchfoundation.org

With all our gratitude, 

The Branch Foundation team

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Dear friends,

We hope this update finds you well. It's been a busy couple of months and we’re excited to update you on what’s been happening for The Branch Foundation and the communities with which we work!

In December, we held a weekend-long teacher training workshop at Koung Jor Camp. We’ve always been very lucky to acquire the best teacher trainers that graciously volunteer their time and skills and this time was no different. This time we had a skilled trainer with over 20 years experience who brought a whole new range of exciting and fun ideas for the local teachers to use in their classes.

At the end of January we facilitated a learning trip to Koung Jor for World Pilgrim from Canada. We have previously facilitated another group from the same organisation who said the visit to the camp was the highlight of their trip to Thailand. World Pilgrim remain eager supporters of both The Branch Foundation and Koung Jor and we were delighted to once again help them have a meaningful, informative and fun stay with our Shan friends at the refugee camp.

Do you remember Sai Oo? For years he was the Education Coordinator and Computer Teacher at Koung Jor and then he went on to study Computer Science at Mai Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai. We previously had a special Global Giving project to help raise funds for his university costs as well as for the stipend for his role at the camp which many of you generously contributed to. Well…. we could not be more excited to tell you that after 4 years and so much dedication and hard work that he has just graduated from university! We could not be more proud of him. He is a shining example of what one determined individual can achieve and an inspiration to the youth in Koung Jor and Burma/Myanmar as a whole. Sai Oo, who happens to also be a long time friend of ours, has also managed to secure himself a managerial role in a computer software company in a nearby city. It feels like yesterday that we sat in a thatch hut just outside the camp enjoying a steaming bowl of Shan noodles whilst listening to his dreams of going to university. In his latest update we could hear just how chuffed he was with what he has achieved and so are we!

Upcoming we have a new exciting education project in Karen state in Burma/Myanmar on the horizon but we’ll save the specific details for our next report. Until then, we will be busy wrapping up the end of this financial year and preparing for this years Annual General Meeting. It’s always a great opportunity to see just how much we have collectively achieved!

With all our gratitude,

The Branch Foundation team.

Links:

• Find us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter