Refugee School Offers Burmese Hope- MAE SOT, Thailand - A Christian school in Thailand is giving hope to ethnic children who have escaped violence in Myanmar.
The children had lived under a repressive regime for years. But now some young Karen refugees have the promise of a brighter future.Eighty-five percent of these children from Burma's Karen tribe attend the Elpis School in Mae Sot.
Their families fled atrocities committed against them by the Burmese military. They found a safe haven in Thailand. "
Some like Thoung Myint and Tuntun Win have endured separation from their families in exchange for an education. The boys will be safer in Thailand and will escape abduction by government soldiers. In Burma, boys as young as 10 years old are forced to join the military and serve as unpaid laborers.
"When I lived in Burma, the soldiers took our money and we had to build the roads," Tuntun Win, 14, said.
"In Burma, soldiers forced us to carry guns and plant trees. If we don't work, we must pay 5000 kyat," Thoung Myint Kyaw, 4, said. "Here, I can study and I don't need to pay much money."
In 2000, Filipino missionaries Pappet Amihan, Roselyn Sanchez and Karen teacher Heihtoo began a feeding program for 37 Burmese children. As the number of children grew, the three women decided to turn the feeding program into a formal school. But because they dealt with illegal migrants, they were ejected twice from the places where they held classes.
Their church gave them some land and they built their own school with donated materials. The teachers, parents and students provided the labor.
School co-founder and teacher Roselyn Ranchez says the school is giving the Karen children hope and a future. For most of these Burmese children, it is their first time to experience a sportsfest. But more than learning about sports, they now have dreams of their own.
Part of that dream is to be able to someday return to their homeland.
"I want to be a doctor because I want help my people," Kyaw said.
"I want to be a teacher because I want to help my people in Burma," Win said.
Co-founder Amihan said that the Lord answered her when she cried out to Him after being ejected from the school. "He gave me Jeremiah 30:15-16, 'Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears for your efforts will be rewarded, your children will go back to their own land. share about Christ to the people,'" she said.
While the Burmese military regime has worked aggressively over the years to destroy the Karen people, the dreams of these young refugees are being restored here in Thailand. In Greek, 'elpis' means hope - a fitting name for a school that is giving this gift to children who once had no future.
"We don't know for sure what will happen to Burma but we are praying that democracy will be restored and what we can do is to prepare the children for that future," Sanchez said.
*Original broadcast on October 19, 2007.
Refugee School Offers Burmese Hope
By Lucille Talusan, CWN Asia Correspondent
October 22, 2007
Click Link here:
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/252976.aspx
The children had lived under a repressive regime for years. But now some young Karen refugees have the promise of a brighter future.Eighty-five percent of these children from Burma's Karen tribe attend the Elpis School in Mae Sot.
Their families fled atrocities committed against them by the Burmese military. They found a safe haven in Thailand. "
Some like Thoung Myint and Tuntun Win have endured separation from their families in exchange for an education. The boys will be safer in Thailand and will escape abduction by government soldiers. In Burma, boys as young as 10 years old are forced to join the military and serve as unpaid laborers.
"When I lived in Burma, the soldiers took our money and we had to build the roads," Tuntun Win, 14, said.
"In Burma, soldiers forced us to carry guns and plant trees. If we don't work, we must pay 5000 kyat," Thoung Myint Kyaw, 4, said. "Here, I can study and I don't need to pay much money."
In 2000, Filipino missionaries Pappet Amihan, Roselyn Sanchez and Karen teacher Heihtoo began a feeding program for 37 Burmese children. As the number of children grew, the three women decided to turn the feeding program into a formal school. But because they dealt with illegal migrants, they were ejected twice from the places where they held classes.
Their church gave them some land and they built their own school with donated materials. The teachers, parents and students provided the labor.
School co-founder and teacher Roselyn Ranchez says the school is giving the Karen children hope and a future. For most of these Burmese children, it is their first time to experience a sportsfest. But more than learning about sports, they now have dreams of their own.
Part of that dream is to be able to someday return to their homeland.
"I want to be a doctor because I want help my people," Kyaw said.
"I want to be a teacher because I want to help my people in Burma," Win said.
Co-founder Amihan said that the Lord answered her when she cried out to Him after being ejected from the school. "He gave me Jeremiah 30:15-16, 'Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears for your efforts will be rewarded, your children will go back to their own land. share about Christ to the people,'" she said.
While the Burmese military regime has worked aggressively over the years to destroy the Karen people, the dreams of these young refugees are being restored here in Thailand. In Greek, 'elpis' means hope - a fitting name for a school that is giving this gift to children who once had no future.
"We don't know for sure what will happen to Burma but we are praying that democracy will be restored and what we can do is to prepare the children for that future," Sanchez said.
*Original broadcast on October 19, 2007.
Refugee School Offers Burmese Hope
By Lucille Talusan, CWN Asia Correspondent
October 22, 2007
Click Link here:
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/252976.aspx
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