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Due to recent events in Thailand, the importance and necessity of the work we have done through THEP has never been more apparent. Mae Sariang, the area in Thailand where most of our students live and attend school is on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Due to the recent coup in Myanmar, there has been an outbreak of war between the Karen Liberation Army on the Thai border, and the Myanmar new military rulers. This conflict has caused an influx of Myanmar refugees entering Mae Sariang. The political conflict has been difficult for the school children in the Mae Sariang/Sob Moei districts. Thankfully, the teachers in the area, including many of our THEP graduates, have been great leaders and support for the children to feel safe. 

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30 years on! Still going strong but more to be done...

The Thailand Hilltribe Education Projects is an organisation set up to help improve the education of Thai hilltribe children. Susan became involved in 1991 having had the opportunity to visit the hilltribe villages in Mae Hong Son province. She soon became aware of the disadvantages that hilltribe students endure just to get an education, even at primary level.

 

This led Susan and her Thai friends to form a small charity group, The Thailand Hilltribe Education Projects. Big strides have been made by the Thai Government in improving the quality of education since then and thanks to THEP and its wonderful volunteers and sponsors, people know more about the disadvantages the children have suffered and the progress made.

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We still have a long way to go however. Our cause is as clear and compelling as ever: to give hilltribe children the same opportunities as their lowland counterparts. Even though the majority of students finish their basic education, tertiary education is out of reach for many. We still need to build boarding houses with decent facilities for the mountain children who travel long distances to the nearest school. Our other priority is providing education scholarships so that the students are able to continue their education, qualify with a tertiary degree, improve their lives, help their families and set an example in their community.

 

Here are just some of the ways our generous sponsors have helped:

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ANZWG (Australian-New Zealand Women’s Group) provided generous funds to build a Kindergarten/Village meeting room (all-purpose building) at the village school in Ban Mae Sabeung in the mountains in Mae La Noi District, Mae Hong Son Province. The building was completed in March 2020, thank you ANZWG. Susan looks forward to inspecting the finished building when travel is possible once more. 

 

Since then ASOB (Association de Soutien aux Orphelins de Bangkok) have donated funds for a much-needed boarding house at Ban Chang Moh School. Owing to the Covid 19 situation however there has been a delay to supply chains and interruptions to the school year. We are excited with the plans and the build will start as soon as possible.

 

AUSTCHAM have generously donated funds for this boarding house's furniture and we look forward to making progress as soon as we can.

 

Although construction progress has been limited this past year, the student sponsorship programme has continued as usual.

 

THEP celebrated the success of 15 university graduates in 2020 and 2 higher vocational graduates. We have now had over 70 university graduates and 33 vocational college graduates. THEP is very proud of all these young people!

 

15 students have graduated high school and are hoping to go on to university in 2021. Thank you to their sponsors.

 

Currently we have 98 students on our books, out of a total over the years of nearly 500.

 

A year in high school costs about US$200, a year in university about US$800.

 

One of the special things about THEP Sponsorship is that when these young students get an education and end up in better jobs, they pay it forward by helping other children get an education. They return to the mountain villages to teach or work as health officers. In fact, some of our THEP graduates now sponsor children in their own villages. So when you educate a student through THEP you start a ripple that ends up transforming the lives of many others.

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Previous projects:

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Ban Huay Ma Gok School has two new dormitories thanks to our generous donors, A.S.O.B. (Association de Soutien aux Orphelins de Bangkok), Luxembourg, Europe.

 

This project not only gives the current students a clean and safe place to live, but encourages more children from far away villages to attend school.

 

Thank you to S.I.D. (Soroptomists International Dusit) for donating bunk beds and bedding for the students and a personal friend of THEP, who donated duvets for the cold winter months in the mountains.

 

Our sponsors know that if we improve the facilities at hilltribe schools more children will have the chance to complete their education which gives them hope for a better future. 

 

Thanks to A.S.O.B. and Rotary Echternach Moselle, THEP is able to continue its mission to provide better access to education for hilltribe children with a new dormitory at Ban Mae Ohk Neua School and funds for another at Ban Chang Moh School.

 

Thank you ANZWG (Australian-New Zealand Society) for a grand canteen for hilltribe boarders at Song Kwae School in Doi Loh district, Chiang Mai Province. Song Kwae School has over 200 hilltribe boarding students who now have a canteen in close proximity to their dormitories. 

 

A big thank you to S.I.D. (Soroptomists International Dusit) Bangkok, for providing a bore water supply to Ban Mae Pae School in Sob Moei district. Now the children have fresh water for washing, preparing meals and for their toilet facilities. A life-changing project for the students of Ban Mae Pae School. Thank you S.I.D.!

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