Thailand: Providing Special Education to Burmese Refugees
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Abija, left, has learned to read and write through World Education's Special Education project for Burmese refugees.
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Abija is 18 years old and very proud to be in grade two. Her dream is to become a teacher for children with special needs.
When her family moved from Burma to the Mae La Refugee camp in Thailand, Abija, who is deaf, was sent to primary school in the camp, where she stayed for two years. Her experience there was not a happy one. As she did not learn to read nor write, she described it as a "failure." Worse still, she did not make a single friend during her time at the school.
"At that school, the teacher did not know how to help me learn. Other children looked down on me and did not want to play with me. Maybe they thought that I was stupid since I could not learn," said Abija, who now communicates by sign language. So discouraged was Abija that she dropped out of school, she stayed home for a few years. In 2001, the Consortium Burma Border project, implemented by World Education and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, launched, as part of its Education Assistance to Burmese Refugees, a Special Education Center to provide educational services for children and adults with disabilities. Abija was one of the first students at the center. In the program, students learn subjects such as Karen sign language; Karen, English, and Burmese languages; mathematics; hygiene; and geography. In addition, the program assists parents and community members by providing a more positive environment for people with disabilities.
But for the disabled children and adults who attend, the Special Education Center provides more than education. Abija, as other disabled students, has learned to overcome her fear of being different and has developed a sense of pride in her ability to learn.
"Now I feel equal to children in other schools. I can read and write like they do. When I finish school, I want to be a teacher so that I can help other children who need special help like me," signs Abija. Abija is not alone in her enthusiasm for the Burma Border's special education program. Ouayepon Tokou is a dedicated and dynamic project staff member.
"I have been working in the camps now for almost 10 years—first as a midwife with another project, and now as a coordinator for the special education program with the Burma Border project with Consortium Thailand. I have seen many health problems which could be prevented through proper education of (especially) the parents. Many of the disabilities in the camp, especially in the case of the children, could have been avoided.
"I believe in my work," says Tokou. "Disabled children should have an equal opportunity to receive a good education. Through the Burma Border project, my team ensures that this happens and that those who are disabled live harmoniously in their community. I share the pride of the family and the community when their children do so well in the special education program."
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Burmese refugee children who are deaf or have other disabilities now have access to education.
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"My hope is that one day the Karen education system will accept special education into the normal curriculum."
Like the project beneficiaries in the camp, Tokou herself has received much training since joining the project team two years ago. In her new position as program coordinator, she has learned to make plans and monitor activities. In addition, she has learned to work as a team leader, providing her staff with direction and supervision.
Tokou has six children, one of whom is disabled. Still, she dedicates much of her time and efforts to the special education program in Burmese refugee camps in Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces in Thailand.
"I understand perfectly the helpless feeling of parents of disabled children. The special education program helps not only the disabled, but their families as well. Without the family and the community support, the special education program could not be successful."
The special education program continues to thrive. Over the past seven years, the project has helped over 1000 disabled children and adults who otherwise may never have received an education at all.
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