We construct safe-homes and schools in highly vulnerable villages in the Upper Mekong Region of Myanmar. We rescue and protect at-risk children with the permission of the local government. Our five facilities provide care and basic education for 150 children. The expansion in 2015 will nearly double the classroom capacity.
In March 2016, we completed construction of a second school building at our North Shan State Children's Center. The three-classroom building provides 120 life-saving spaces, doubling the Center's current operating capacity. Offering education to these children will help protect them from being conscripted into the army, and give them a future they could never have dreamed of before.
We have built water projects to serve five of our Upper Mekong facilities. Excessive city growth and frequent storms were leaving water sources polluted or in high competition. We repaired existing systems and built new systems following the UN model to ensure long-term functionality.
The Children’s Border Home, located along the eastern border of Myanmar and Thailand, provides a protective environment for 30 kids. The extreme poverty and volatile political/military climate in the region places children at high risk for conscription. They also become vulnerable to trafficking and other human rights violations.
The home’s current facilities are at capacity and there has been a recent escalation of army movement and activities. Because of this, we are working on an expansion project that will allow us to house 16 more children – keeping them cared for and safe from front line army duty.
Thanks to help of our sponsors and friends, Stephanie and Rob, and Hope for the Nations, the Border Home expansion project has been built, furnished and filled with children. Together, we were able to complete this project on time and under budget! The children are very, very excited!
There are now two additional bedroom spaces, one for boys and one for girls, bathroom facilities and a generous open-air common space for children to play, read and do homework.
Although completing the building is a great victory, we know that the lasting value of this project extends far beyond the physical walls and how many children they hold. It will be seen in the restoration of each individual child. This new building will provide a safe haven for 16 children to grow, laugh, learn and experience a real childhood.
Children whose lives were previously held captive by violence, poverty, and corruption, now have real and tangible dreams for their futures. It is truly an honor to watch them grow, flourish and achieve those dreams!
