Summer School class
Si Poe Khee school
Summer School
Summer School walk
Presentation at the workshop
"Learning is Fun" Workshop
Equipment for Health Workshop
10kg package of books for each library
Planning
Preparing a Presentation
Klay Poe Glo School
Mae Kae Khee School
Mae La Ah Hta School
Mae La Ah Khee School
Phow Pwo Lay School
Tee Tu Kaw School
Summary
We funded the feasibility study for the capacity building project in 2018 and watched it grow into the full programme in 2019. The programme, named ‘SchoolPower’, is based in Ta Graeh Sub-district, Pa-An District in Karen State Myanmar.
The programme works closely with teachers, women, children and youth from 9 marginalised communities living in conflict-affected areas, where they are unable to get access to basic education, housing and healthcare, making them even more vulnerable to various forms of abuse and discrimination.
Background
Friends Without Borders (FWB) Foundation was established in 1999 and registered as a non-profit organisation in 2008. FWB works primarily with refugees and displaced children living in conflict-affected areas in and around refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border. Since October 2018, FWB has been running the project ‘Capacity Building for Border Karen Schools & Teachers) in Karen State, Myanmar, with the support of PCF. The programme has been renamed ‘SchoolPower’ to gain recognition in the area. The project was initially based on the feasibility study and consultation conducted with beneficiaries during 15 September – 15 October 2017.
The ‘SchoolPower’ project is a run in cooperation between FWB and the local Karen Education Department (KED), which aims to strengthen the quality of life and well-being of approximately 660 Karen children living in 9 communities in the targeted areas and to be a model for similar efforts in other border areas.
Support is given in several ways
1. Providing training, workshops and ongoing support for the teachers
2. By topping up the salaries of teachers by 50% we enable the teachers to earn enough to stay in post and ensure that essential skills and knowledge is not lost.
3. Purchase of essential school equipment and materials enables a quality education
4. Providing and supplying small libraries and reading corners in each school
Goals and Results
Goals
1. The primary aim of the project is to strengthen the capacity of Karen teachers in the schools so that they will become a valuable resource, sharing knowledge and skills on various topics including child protection and education provision. A resource that responds to the needs of communities while helping to strengthen the schools to become sustainable local institutions.
2. To strengthen the capacity of the schools so that they have sufficient infrastructure, equipment, materials and policies that contribute to child protection, quality and relevance of education and to serve as sustainable local institutions with the participation of children, teachers and communities members.
3. To develop the quality of education and life of children and members of all eight targeted communities, for them to live a decent life with dignity.
Results
The first year of the project has been successfully conducted, with all activities being implemented according to the initial plan:
1. Four capacity-building workshops and one evaluation meeting were conducted with 28 teachers, including the headmasters and school committee members.
2. 20 teachers from the eight schools directly benefited from four capacity-building workshops on the topics of situation analysis, library management, the right to health and the role of schools, basic healthcare and first aid, mental health and children of special needs, labour rights and Thai law, sexual and gender-based violence prevention, child protection policy, participatory teaching methodology and English language teaching methods.
3. Seven out of the eight schools received school material support and identified their needs for additional equipment, material and infrastructure support. One school did not require school equipment as they already had an existing sponsor.
4. All the eight targeted schools received support for and established their own reading libraries and first aid corners.
Sponsors
What's Been Happening Recently
𝟰𝟲 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗩𝗘 🏠🍚
The current conflicts in Myanmar have created severe problems for 46 young students. They had to flee their villages and needed a safe place to stay, a school to attend, and food to survive. These students, aged 11 to 18 years old, are now studying at Thoo Mwe Community High School, one of the nine schools supported by PCF in the area.
A new dormitory was needed due to the arrival of these students, and PCF supported the construction costs for this dormitory.
We have also been able to provide three meals a day since 2021.
We extend our gratitude to Anthony Mann (Tony) for financing the construction of the dormitory and to Joanne Nihom and Michiel Schrijver and two anonymous sponsors for their contributions towards meals for this year.
More information on the schools PCF is supporting in this area here: philanthropyconnections.org/project/strengthening-capacity-of-border-karen-schools-and-teachers-i...
#schoolpower #fwb
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𝗜𝗧 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦 𝗔 𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗡𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗗: 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗛𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗔𝗬
World Humanitarian Day, observed on August 19th, honours the selflessness and efforts of humanitarian aid workers worldwide and we’d like to highlight one of the teachers from Pwoh Pwo Lay school, at the Thai/Myanmar border.
Saw Poe Si is an English and History teacher. He was born and raised in Pwoh Pwo Lay, but had to flee when he was very young due to the constant military conflict in the area. After years of displacement and moving from place to place, he finally found a place with a good school to settle in.
Upon graduating, he decided that returning to his hometown to become a teacher and nurture the next generation was his calling. His goal was to give back to his community and provide the children with the opportunities he never had.
"When I was growing up, there were no schools. Now there is a school but no one to teach," he said.
"The children now will become the next generation of adults and teach future children. We, as teachers, have to encourage and support them to learn happily."
Saw's school is one of nine ethnic Karen community schools that PCF partners with Friends Without Borders (FWB) to support. The programme works closely with teachers, women, and children from marginalised communities in conflict-affected areas.
Here is his interview: www.facebook.com/watch/?v=616785359907850
#Friendswithoutborders #FWB #CapacityBuilding #TeacherEmpowerment
#WorldHumanitarianDay #ItTakesAVillagetoSupportPeopleinCrisis
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“𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗣𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗”
This quote from Nelson Mandela is now on a wall at Ta K’Paw Primary School, so the students can be inspired by it when they go to school.
This school is in Pa-an District, Karen State, Myanmar. It is one of 12 schools we support under our "SchoolPower" project. The new building has six classrooms, one office, and a library, benefitting 50 students aged 6 to 12 years old, five teachers, and 240 villagers.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Michael Richter (Micha) for providing all the funds to support the construction of this new school building in memory of his grandfather Erich Selbach.
Here is the photo of Micha with the plaque: www.facebook.com/PhilanthropyConnections/posts/pfbid02omRj1Ys1qaoraMK5VKiBrtMKDUyaStx5XgfxxVTQJnz...
#NewSchoolBuilding #SupportEducation #SchoolPower #FriendsWithoutBorders #FWB
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