Donors should take pride since educational and vocational skills are the only pathway for orphaned and displaced children living at Baan Unrak Children's Home to secure a future. Many lack identity cards; some have special talents or needs. Secondary education provides access to options vital for work and security. For two decades, Baan Unrak has sheltered children fleeing civil wars in Burma. Today 152 children live at Baan Unrak and about 20 are ready for their next educational step.
Over the last 20 years, thousands of Burmese people fled Burma (Myanmar) due to chronic civil war and violence. Many children were orphaned or abandoned. Many now lack identity cards or citizenship. Lacking legal status, they are vulnerable to exploitation in all forms. Baan Unrak Children's Home was founded more than two decades ago to provide shelter, basic education and health to such children. As they grow up, secondary education and training is vital to prepare them for adulthood.
The project will support educational fees, food, shelter and transportation for the children of Baan Unrak who have reached next step educational age. This cohort of children will be stuck at their current development status unless they can proceed to post elementary school education, to enhance their job possibilities and their sense of self. Ongoing education may also help these children achieve legal status by providing them skills and confidence needed to meet the challenges of adult life.
Baan Unrak Childrens Home is a community, and older children help the younger. This Next Step educational project will allow the current cohort of older children to rise above the basic, to expand their prospects, with a long-term benefit for their "siblings." Helping the existing group of older children move up the education ladder will strengthen all the children living at Baan Unrak, now about 150, as good examples are set and skills and experience are returned to the whole.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
