Another trip in planning...

Preparations are underway for a trip to Mae Sot to visit 'our kids' at Du Pla Ya Boarding House, though we'll travel first to Mae Sai, a border town in northern Thailand, to meet 50 or so children aged between 6 and 16 at an orphanage that is without funding this year. We were first told about them by World Education, Thailand, who help where they can with educational materials (and trying to find a new sponsor) but just don't have all the funds necessary to feed, house and clothe these kids - so we're going to see what we can do. We hear the children are mostly Wa children who come from areas where there are no schools, meaning they live away from their families; if they have them. At the very least, it should prove to be an interesting journey...

We started the day at the border market on what we thought would be the quietest day of trip! Whilst we did enjoy the market very much, we'd heard about the children living under the bridge but seeing them brought home the harsh reality of their lives. We're happy to know they receive some support and care from another group operating out of Mae Sot.

Back in town we had lunch at Bai Fern, which was delicious, though we should have allowed a bit more time. It's worth mentioning that two of the best handicraft shops that we've come across, WEAVE and Borderline are closed on Sundays. Or at least they were today! :)

The afternoon was spent visiting an orphanage for toddlers and babies and a home for women and children living with HIV. There's always a great need for volunteers in these places (so much so that one of us was 'carried away' within minutes of arriving by a group of 3 year olds heading to the nearest open parkland to blow bubbles!), that if you're interested in knowing how you can volunteer and/or help otherwise, just let us know.

We shared dinner tonight with 48 teachers and 200 students aged between 4-18 at a boarding house and learning center for refugees and immigrants. Two groups of students performed an hour of traditional Karen dancing, which they had been practicing for the past two months. Their obvious pride in their culture brought tears to our eyes and we felt very priviledged to witness their passion and energy.

Back to Mae Sot

Yesterday we travelled with Thai Children's Trust to Mae Sot from Bangkok, which was somewhat of a long and bumpy 6hrs by minivan! A delicious Burmese curry at Casa Mia and a good night's sleep at Phannu Guesthouse, saw us ready for another day.

Photocopier Arrives!

Thank you!

With the overwhelming generosity of our supporters throughout the year and the goodwill of Canon Marketing (Thailand) Company Ltd, Women With a Mission has been able to purchase a digital copier at a substantially reduced price to assist children at risk living on the Thai/Burma border gain access to educational materials.

The digital copier, Canon IR3035, is being used to print text books in several languages (Burmese, Thai and English), as developed by World Education for distribution to 54 mostly make-shift community schools struggling to meet the educational needs of 8,000 children.

Women With a Mission is a non-affiliated, not for profit, private group committed to providing children of all ages, social and cultural backgrounds the necessary tools to receive a proper education and access to daily nutritional needs.

We have a long-term commitment to this project and assisting these children reach their full potential. We are always grateful for your support.

Evening at Jomtien Boathouse

On Thursday 25^th September, a special dinner and evening of entertainment with Elvis was  held at the Jomtien Boathouse Restaurant, Jomtien Beach Road.  A wonderful dinner was served by the Boathouse Restaurant staff and organized by Khun Kannika. A slide show of the projects in Mae Sot was presented along with a presentation by Bronwyn, Kylie and Rosanne.  On this evening 150,000 Baht was raised for the WWM education programs in the Thai / Burma Border Camps. All proceeds from the evening will go to support the welfare and educational needs of refuge Myanmar children living in camps on the Thailand border.

A special thank you goes to our Sponsors for the evening DHL and a special friend Chitra for her generous donation.  Also sincere thanks for the wonderful auction and raffle items donated by Ursula Antiques, Kalae, Arlette Cykman, Nancy Srikumpol, Patricia Foulstone, Indian by Nature Restaurant, La Luna Restaurant, Café New Orleans, Boathouse Restaurant, Residence Inn Restaurant.

Women with a Mission (WWM) is a private group of women who work to organise help for people who need it most.  We are currently working to help provide educational supplies (such as a photocopier which will enable to copying of text books for distribution to 54 community schools) to benefit some of the thousands of Burmese children living in the camps along the Thailand/Myanmar border (previously Burma). We are also trying to raise money to supply the children with food, clothing and medical supplies.  These children have been displaced by both political uncertainty and more recently a natural disaster, namely the devastating Cyclone Nagis, which left thousands of children orphaned.

If you were unable to attend this charity event for Women With A Mission and would like to learn more. Contact us by email at wwm.burma@gmail.com.