The Karen are a minority people group spread across a number of countries, including Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). There are many Thai-Karen living in villages in the mountains of Northwest Thailand. However, Karen people have also been fleeing across the 2400 km border between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) for half a century as the result of conflict and violence. Between 1994 and 1998 alone, 90,000 people fled Myanmar.
The number of Karen living on the border is continually being increased by newcomers. In the camps there are no jobs and people live on rations provided by NGOs. In 1982, the Anglican Consultative Council asked Christ Church Bangkok to work with displaced Karen people living on the Thai side of the border.
Ongoing work with Border Karen
Straddling about five kilometers along the road leading from the town of Mae Sot, Mae La is one of the largest camps for Border Karen and home to around 50,000 people, including many children. Mae La also contains three Anglican churches, each of which has its own pre-school which Christ Church supports: Emmanuel, St.John’s and Trinity. These look after around 250 children between them. Christ Church supports these schools by helping to pay staff salaries and by providing teaching materials and sleeping mats. There is also an orphanage in Mae La camp with about 50 children for whom we are able to provide clothes, food and other daily necessities. Christ Church also helps to support the Anglican clergy in the camps and surrounding area.
Noh Boh Academy
Noh Bo Academy is a Karen High School with boarding facilities - uniquely situated outside any of the Karen refugee camps and able to take many displaced Burmese Karen young people as well as local Thai Karen. Noh Bo Academy offers a high school education for approximately 160 students aged between 11 and 26, and is divided into 8 classes. While some of the students are able to contribute to their school fees, Christ Church is responsible for the bulk of the day-to-day running costs and special expenses of the school. These include providing food, stationery, mosquito nets, blankets and staff costs.
For the latest Border News, which provides updates from the Christ Church border Karen ministry, please download this pdf.
Getting Involved
Every month members of the congregation travel to the border. If you would like more information about this, please contact karenministry@christchurchbangkok.org
We also invite you to join us in our ministry to the Karen by making financial donations. The following table gives you an idea of what you could help resource.
| Mae La Camp | |
|---|---|
| Nursery cost per child | 1600 Baht per year |
| Orphanage cost per child | 5120 Baht per year |
| Noh Bo Academy | |
| Fees for day student | 6000 Baht per year |
| Fees for boarding student | 12000 Baht per year |
| Teacher salary | 19200 Baht per year |
Cheques (Thai Baht only please) payable to Christ Church Refugee Account may be sent to:
The Karen Education Program, Christ Church, 11 Convent Road, Bangkok 10500, Thailand.
Alternatively payments can be made direct to:
CHRIST CHURCH REFUGEE ACCOUNT
Number 001-006-59276
Standard Chartered Bank (Thai), 90 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Swift code SCBLTHBX
If paying this way, please send an email to karenministry@christchurchbangkok.org telling us the amount and the date it was paid.
If you are in the United Kingdom please send Pounds Sterling cheques payable to St Andrew the Great Church to:
The Treasurer, St Andrew the Great, St Andrew's Street, Cambridge, CB2 3AX.
If you are eligible to pay UK tax, the St Andrew the Great Church Treasurer can send you a Gift Aid declaration so that your tax can be claimed and added to your donation. For further information, please send an email to davidriches@stag.org