World Education, Inc.

Project for Local Empowerment (PLE)
Approximately 130,000 refugees from Burma live in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, and well over 400,000 live unofficially in Thai communities along the border. Some of the refugees have lived along the border for a decade or more, and have seen whole generations of children grow in the camp environment. The refugees wish to educate their children in the camp setting, so that some day they may return to Burma and actively partake in its transformation. Unfortunately, their resources for education activities are extremely limited.

World Education, working with the International Rescue Committee and funded by a grant from USAID, initiates projects to increase access to and improve the quality of education for Burmese refugees and migrants in Thailand. World Education trains teachers and school administrators, and works on the development of curriculum and teaching materials, special education, adult literacy and assists with education focused community initiatives such as Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs). To assist refugees and displaced people living outside of the refugee camps in Thai villages, and to the Thai villagers who host them, World Education also provides targeted education support to several Thai communities along the Thai-Burma border. All work is carried out in cooperation with Community Based Organizations (CBO's) working along the border to ensure sustainability and effectiveness of the training efforts, and to create a sustainable education system that can be quickly adapted when displaced families return to Burma.

Read more in the World Ed Feature Stories: Training Refugee Teachers on the Thai-Burma Border.
and
Providing Special Education to Burmese Refugees
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IMPACT - Improving Mechanisms for Partnership and Action for Children in Thailand
Migrant children from Burma living in Thailand, are particularly vulnerable to protection risks such as abuse, exploitation, and neglect. The IMPACT project aims to address these vulnerabilities through a comprehensive child protection system that gives equal emphasis to prevention of and response to child abuse, exploitation and neglect. World Education is part of a network of organizations working to implement the IMPACT project, including the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Committee for Protection and Promotion of Child Rights (CPPCR), and Social Action for Women (SAW).

To prevent risks to children, World Education will work within communities to raise their awareness of threats to child protection. In the second outcome, which deals with responding to child protection threats, World Education will work in partnership with CPPCR to establish a child protection network and develop a referral and case management system in which all relevant actors work together to provide a solid, timely and quality response for children according to best practice standards. World Education will work to develop the organizational capacity of CPPCR and to provide technical advice and institutional support.
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Creating Opportunities for Psychosocial Enhancement (COPE)   (2008 - 2011)
The political instability, unrest, violence, and socio-economic problems in Burma have driven tens of thousands of people away from their country. Since the early 1980's and until now, Burmese, Karen, and other ethnic minorities have been fleeing their homes for refugee camps in increasing numbers. Human rights abuses have been well documented, including execution of those who do not comply with the demands of the soldiers, forced labor, rape, and denial of the right to education. The trauma of active conflict -- and the resulting loss of life, family disruption, loss of land and livelihood -- has compounded this. As a consequence, children and youth have been witnesses and/or participants in traumatic events including violence and sometimes the death of their loved ones. Many youth have lost their homes, belongings, and are separated from families. They live in constant fear of further forced displacement. The children's education has often been disrupted. They often remain silent, absorbing and reflecting the fear and anger of their parents, siblings, and community members -- but more often they do not have a way to share their personal painful experiences.

The COPE project increased the awareness of Karen educators and leaders concerning psychosocial issues and how they affect children in schools. In addition it enhanced the education system to provide a "psychosocial sensitive" environment within its schools by developing the capacity of trainers, educators and support systems to address the psychosocial needs of children and youth; developing a training of trainers curriculum; and designing a curriculum integrated into a Social Studies / Living Values curriculum for primary and secondary schools of the Karen education system in the refugee camps. The success of the program lay with the close collaboration between World Education and the Karen Education Department and the other NGOs that were working in education with the refugee and migrant population.

World Education successfully implemented COPE for UNICEF until the end of 2011.
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Public Health in Complex Emergencies   (2002 - 2006)
In a refugee crisis or armed conflict, affected communities face daunting health problems, from epidemics to psychological trauma. While many humanitarian agencies respond to such crises, too many health workers arrive in the field without sound technical knowledge and skills. World Education collaborated with the International Rescue Committee, the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, the Institute for Public Health at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Bangkok, Thailand to conduct a two-week training course in Public Health in Complex Emergencies.

Intended for the staff of NGOs and local Ministries of Health who work in humanitarian emergencies, the course addressed the planning of public health interventions that impact displaced populations, including epidemiology, nutrition, and reproductive health. Participants returned to their work sites better prepared to answer the question, "If there are thousands of people coming across the border and no facilities in place for them, what do we do first?"

World Education successfully implemented the Public Health in Complex Emergencies for USAID from 2002 to 2006. For further information about this project's activities, please contact wei@worlded.org
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