This year rice crops failed in areas of Thailand near the border, and although the Thai Government has stockpiles the price of food generally has increased generally and there are shortages. The prices of some vegetable have reached record prices, and supplies of some staples have been rationed. This has affected the availability and supply of staple foods necessary for good health, and refugee camps have been especially affected.

Internally Displaced People have also been affected by these events in some areas. In areas of Karen State administered by the Peace Council the Burmese Government has stopped supplying rice after having done so for some years. There is enough rice stockpiled to last through August, by which time rice paddies recently planted in the area will start to yield crops. 

AKF is looking at ways in which areas where food is short may be assisted, either by supply in the short term, or, through KESAN, in food availability development. If you wish to support AKF initiatives please contact AKF by email (akfinfo@westnet.com) or contact Andrew Flint  (0419 313 047).

As schooling resumes in Thailand and along the border with Burma after the holiday break, record enrolments are being reported by school and camp leaders. From within Burma an IDP camp leader has said  “I am just come back from IDP camp for the opening ceremony of schools in the camp. And  I have one problem for IDP village -they have 620 students girls and boys. The students population increasing day by day……”  They were able to find teachers, but did not have enough resources to complete a building, and the students were crowding into a roofless frame in the wet season.

In Mae La Camp, Rev Dr Simon Htoo, principle of the Karen Baptist Bible School and College tells how the  student enrolment has increased to 317 from 255 last year – he says “317 students are enrolled for the 2 programs: 50 students enrolled for the Karen Theological Program and 267 enrolled for the B.Th. (English) Program. We also have 197 students under our KKBC Orphanage Ministry”.

The story is much the same in the Peace Council area, across the border from Mae La, where the increased numbers have challenged the ability for the leaders to find enough to meet the small salaries of local teaching staff.

Dr Simon says “As for us, we don’t want our young people and children wasting their time by roaming around aimlessly, feeling depressed and getting involved in drugs and sexual immorality leading to the problems of Aids and HIV. But we are trying the best we can with the help of our brothers and sisters around the world to provide as possible as we can the highest education for our young people and encourage them to take it as a time for their preparation for the future.”

In June   AKF Executive members will be visiting the AKF’s education project in Mae La Camp, the Anglican Learning and Computer Centre to review the present situation and plans for the future.

As those who visit the border know Karen leaders take their responsibility to bring their young people into a better future very seriously, and work hard to provide the best education possible in the circumstances in which they live.

For further information about AKF Projects or the other schools referred to above please contact AKF by mail or email to akfinfo@westnet.com.a

YOUNG KAREN STUDY TOUR
AKF aims to strengthen sections of the Karen community in order to develop grass-roots educational and training projects in refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border - through close and on-going contact with Karen Communities on the border and in Australia. 
A party of 12 young Karen have returned from an exciting Youth Exchange Program  . For 18 days 24 young Karen people - 12 from the border and 12 from Victoria - together visited border organisations and attended a workshop in Northern Thailand. The aim was to bond through sharing experiences and shared hopes. The people from Australia will be reporting on their experiences. Watch this page for details.  Meet the travellers at the AKF Function, August 28, Scots Church Assembly Hall, 156 Collins Street - see Home Page for details.