ADRA AND ADVENTIST MISSION IN THAILAND LEND SUPPORT TO GLOBAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

ADRA AND ADVENTIST MISSION IN THAILAND LEND SUPPORT TO GLOBAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

ADRA AND ADVENTIST MISSION IN THAILAND LEND SUPPORT TO GLOBAL EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

THAILAND (December 11, 2019) – Following the official launch of the global advocacy campaign, Every Child. Everywhere. In School., held at the General Conference’s Annual Council in October, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and the Thailand Adventist Mission together kicked-off an education campaign at its year-end meeting on December 2.

ADRA’s Asia Region Director, Mark Webster, introduced the joint advocacy campaign to school administrators and church leaders who attended the meeting.

Following the introduction from Mark Webster, Stephen Cooper, country director of ADRA in Thailand, Pr. Luesak Yangkullawat, secretary of the Thailand Adventist Mission, and Linda Zhu Qingyan, programs director of ADRA in Thailand, gave speeches on the dire situation of children who are not in school.

“Our education campaign aims to be a voice for the 262 million out-of-school children around the world,” says Cooper. 

“Here in Thailand, there are more than 200,000 children who are out of school. Some of them are at home taking care of their younger siblings; some are just wandering around where their parents work, and some are into child labor to help generate the family’s income,” says Qingyan. “As these children grow up without education the chances of them being exploited, getting married early, and being unable to overcome the cycle of poverty is very high. The power of educating every child is profound.” 

Qingyan added that there is much value in education. “When we educate a child, we don’t just change one life, but the life of their family, their community, and future generations. When every child receives an education, it benefits the whole society. If a girl is educated, she will have the means to support her children, the cycle of poverty could be broken. If we want to change the world, let’s start with educating every child,” she continues. 

“Education changes lives. I am who I am today because the church had given educational privilege to my father,” Pr. Yangkullawat says. “In Thailand, there are migrant children and children from slum areas who are out of school; we need to speak out for those who cannot speak as the word of God said.”  

The event aimed not only to advocate for education but to also help get signatures showing support for the campaign. Pr. Niratisai Aipan, president of the Thailand Adventist Mission, led the petition signing as he appealed to the meeting attendees. 

“To all institutions, workers and members of the Thailand Adventist Mission, I would like to encourage all of you to sign the petition to support the ‘Every Child’ campaign for out-of-school children,” Pr. Aipan says.  

Ninety percent of the meeting attendees signed the petition. School administrators, church leaders, along with ADRA, pledged to get 14,000 additional signatures among church members by early 2020.  

Reducing Non-Communicable Diseases Risks through a Joint Health Project of Mission Hospital and ADRA Thailand

Reducing Non-Communicable Diseases Risks through a Joint Health Project of Mission Hospital and ADRA Thailand

Reducing Non-Communicable Diseases Risks through a Joint Health Project of Mission Hospital and ADRA Thailand

On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, Dr. Anchee, Manager of Mission Hospital Wellness Center, shared the results of each participant who signed up to join the health project at the project trial phase closure meeting. 

Mission Hospital in collaboration with ADRA Thailand has been running the health project, Live More, for over thirteen weeks with twelve participants who voluntarily signed up for participation.

The project is a lifestyle changing program that seeks to demonstrate a sustainable reduction in non-communicable diseases risks for at-risk participants. The project started on May 10, 2019 and later in June 2019 the Faculty of Public Health at Mahidol University provided ethical approval in research on the benefit of the project. 

During the thirteen weeks participants are advised to follow an exercise, a diet plan and have at least eight hours of sleep everyday. As the participants are working in the hospital, it is a strong commitment they have to make so they have time to exercise, to sleep and to eat healthy food. 

The thirteen weeks journey hasn’t been easy as many of the participants have long busy days at work. “I am always so tired when I get back from work, and because I feel so tired I would eat a lot to make myself feel better. But when I joined this program I am able to remind myself to have more self control and to eat the amount I need,” said one of the participants, Khun Chalim Wongwirat. 

Exercising regularly and having a good night’s sleep are as challenging as eating  a healthy diet for some participants. Khun Papassorn Silpanisong said that it was difficult to sleep eight hours because she has so much to do and she would often sleep three to four hours when needed. “I really have to make a  schedule and set time for my daily routines and strictly follow it so I have time to exercise and have eight hours of sleep,” she added. 

Faithfully following the health program for thirteen weeks was not easy but the results were rewarding. “Looking at the before and after personal statistics of each participant, all participants have had a healthy change,” noted Dr. Anchalee. “After thirteen weeks we can see that they have lost weight and also their sugar level are lower, added Dr. Anchalee. 

Seeing the health benefits and  positive lifestyle changes of participants, LIVEMORE Project administrators are prepared and determined to launch the next phase of the project.

May Sue Wai: A Woman on the Rise to Entrepreneurship

May Sue Wai: A Woman on the Rise to Entrepreneurship

ADRA Thailand offers 6 advanced Vocational Training (VT) courses to refugees in 7 camps along the ThaiMyanmar border. Upon completion of one of the VT courses, graduates of the program who are interested in continuing to advance their skills and apply their knowledge in a real life work place are eligible to apply for internship placements. Mu Sue Yai is one of 76 interns to date who has completed a two-month internship placement in Hpa An, Myanmar through the ADRA Thailand VTRR internship program. Sue Yai was accepted into the internship program after graduating from the advanced VT Hair Dressing Course.  

She is a wife, a mother to two, and a valued member of the community in Nu Poe refugee camp. Before joining the VT course Sue Yai worked as a school teacher for 6 years at a primary and nursery school and volunteered at camp-based organizations such as Handicap International and War Child. To earn money for her family she was selling CDs and DVDs out of her home. On a good day, she was earning 50 THB per day, a value equivalent € 1.30. She was constantly kept busy with work and family but as time passed she began hungering for more. At 26, after serving the community for over 6 years, Mu Sue Yai started to seriously consider her future career options. It was then that she realized her real dream was to open her own hair salon. 

Eager to begin pursuing her career, she wasted no time and signed up for the next open VT session, joining the Hair Dressing course. During an interview with Mu Sue Yai, she reflected back on her life in camp and on her decision to attend the VT program, “After I considered carefully and chose to attend VT, I began to have purpose in my life. I realized what I needed to do in order to improve my future life.” 
Mu Sue Yai completed the intensive 225 hour advanced course on Hair Dressing; a curriculum developed together with a team of experts and recognized by both Thai and Myanmar governments. The advanced VT courses not only include technical and practical skills but also include an integrated life skills component where trainees learn about necessary job skills such as time management, financial management, communication in the work place, and how to apply for jobs.  

 

 

 

“I know that I can carry these skills with me and continue to apply them in any setting that I may find myself in.”

                                                                                                                                                                 

May Sue Wai washing her customer’s hair.

After graduating from the VT program Mu Sue Yai applied for the internship program and was offered a placement in Hpa An, Myanmar. Through her two-month placement at a hair dressing salon in Hpa An she worked closely with her supervisor improving her skills and learning new techniques. During internships business owners apply special attention to coach and teach interns, helping them to absorb and adjust to the realities of working in a business atmosphere in Myanmar. When asked about her internship experience and the usefulness of the VT course Sue Yai said, “The VT course taught me the basic skills and with the knowledge I learned from the Life Skills component, I was able to adjust to the working environment and work professionally. I could communicate and cooperate with others in the workplace and from working in a busy shop I learned how to manage my time effectively.” She went on to say that during her internship she gained useful career and life skills; learning new competencies, dealing with customers, and managing the everyday challenges of working in a service-based work industry. As Sue Yai mentioned from the onset, she had aspirations of opening her own shop but at the time didn’t have any of the technical proficiencies or business skills required to do so. 

Mu Sue Yai again demonstrating her motivation and stick-to-itiveness has now opened up a shop of her own in Nu Poe camp.  In just a short span of less than a year, Sue Yai has completed an advanced course, a twomonth internship, returned to her family in camp, began working on opening her own shop, and has now successfully opened and operates her own beauty salon in camp. When asked about how she was able to do all of this- opening up a shop in such a short period of time- she replied simply and thoughtfully, “I was more confident to open my own shop after the internship. I applied what I learned from the VT course and life skills module. I offer a reasonable price, focus on customer satisfaction, and am trying to gain a positive reputation in camp in order to continue attracting more customers.” 

In Mu Sue Yai’s camp based-beauty salon one can spend a day getting pampered with stylish haircuts, hair coloring and styling (i.e. straightening, extensions, curls, etc.,) makeovers, and even a manicure-pedicure combination. She beamed confidently as she described her learned and applied skills, her up-andrunning business, the popularity it has experienced, and as she spoke of her future plans of opening a bigger salon- employing more people and continuing to advanced her skills, “I know that I can carry these skills with me and continue to apply them in any setting that I may find myself in.”                                                                                                                   

Mu Sue Yai’s is the main provider for her family. With the success of her new business she has increased the family’s earnings tenfold; from 50 THB per day to around 500-600 THB (€13.00-€16.00) per day. While Mu Sue Yai continues to grow her business, flourishing as a young entrepreneur, her husband supports her by caring for their two girls and assisting with customers when the salon is busy. Mu Sue Yai is currently developing a plan of expansion for her shop as since opening it has continued to gain success and popularity amongst the camp community.  Her years of working for the community as a school teacher, and volunteering with organizations, combined with learned VT and Life Skills, have created a path to success. Mu Sue Yai also mentioned a plan to ‘pay it forward’. With her expansion, she plans to create a space to hire on and take interns from the VT Hair Dressing course, creating opportunities for others refugees, like herself, to continue building up their technical and business skills after completing VT programs. 

Stateless: Being a Foreigner in a Country Where You Are Born and Speak the Language

Statelessness: Being a Foreigner in a Country Where You Are Born and Speak the Language

Thailand, known for its exotic beauty and culture, has been a travel destination for tourists all over the world. Its beauty is a charm to both tourists and locals. While the tourists can go around and explore with no constraints, it can be difficult for some locals because they are considered stateless.

“I have been born in Thailand and have lived in Thailand for years, but to be considered stateless is painful,” said Ms. Jahmang Saeyang, a client of ADRA’s Statelessness Reduction and Community Sensitization Project (CSP).

“Let’s forget about leisure travels; even traveling for work, I have to go to the district office and process paper that will permit me to travel. It’s like a document foreign tourists prepare before coming to Thailand. Besides having to process papers for travels, I have to get a work permit to work legally outside my village,” she continued.

The main reason that has led some people from smaller villages and towns to become stateless is due to a lack of knowledge and information in the need and requirement of family registration and birth certificate. Without having family registration and birth certificate, there is no way to proceed in obtaining a Thai ID. Pheeraphat Khachonsantikul, a community mobilizer in CSP, also mentioned that language barrier and a lack of education are the most common causes of statelessness in many of the cases ADRA is helping with.

“I was stateless before I got my Thai ID in 2008. Although I was born in Samutsakorn, I couldn’t be considered Thai without a birth certificate and ID. Starting a new life in Thailand without knowing the language was difficult for my parents, not to mention about knowing the need and how to get registration and ID,” said Pheeraphat.

Not knowing the need for birth certificate and ID has made Akha and Lahu tribe from Myanmar and Luah tribe from Yunan, China stateless. However, a lot of them do not know that they are stateless. Some children in school are not aware that they are stateless until they reach a certain age. “I never knew I was different from other Thai students until I turned fifteen,” said Rung Napa, a volunteer in CSP. “All along I always thought I was Thai since I was born in Thailand, but I found out I was not when my card turned to be pink while my friends’ were green,” she continued.

The pink card, also known as the stateless card, provides education benefits although they may be short of other citizen benefits. Some of the restrains include requirements for notification to the district office for travels, updates on work permit for switching jobs, and proof of being a Thai as one of the job requirements.

“I can’t wait to be considered as a Thai citizen and to be able to travel and work in different shops. Being considered an unwelcomed foreigner in a country where I was born and speak the language is just heart breaking,” affirms Ms. Jahmang Saeyang.

Increased OH&S for Factories in Mae Sot

Increased OH&S for Factories in Mae Sot

Increased OH&S for Factories in Mae Sot

Khaow is a human resource supervisor at one of the many garment factories in Mae Sot, Thailand.

Khaow is a human resource supervisor at one of the many garment factories in Mae Sot, Thailand. Like many factories in the area, they make garments of all kinds. The factory is currently about two years old, and subcontracts to a larger corporation in Bangkok; which then ships to the international market. The majority of workers, aside from senior management, are Burmese migrant workers from Myanmar. As such, they are not entitled to the same level of standards that companies with Thai workers need to uphold. Living and working conditions for migrant workers has been a longstanding issue, with many workers living without basic necessities and working in unsafe conditions. Workers often resort to illegal measures to come to Thailand and work as they cannot afford to do it legally.

Khaow next to his Strategy House

Photograph by Brittanie McLean

Khaow has been with the factory since its inception, and has recognised the need for better Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) standards to be put in place. When asked about current concerns for safety, Khaow mentioned that the dormitories are in the same building as the factory. Should a fire or other emergency break out in the building it could jeopardise the workers living there. He previously proposed something to be done about the situation but they are only renting the building. They are also in the process of securing another factory location; so no renovations will be considered at this point. However, upon securing the new location, it may be possible to reassess the situation.

As human resource supervisor, Khaow gets a lot of facetime with the migrant workers, and so often hears their stories and what it is like for them working in the factory. Everything gets filtered to him unless it concerns production, which heads to a different department. It is obvious that they need to make changes to the way the company is operating, but with limited resources and a quota to fill, it takes a helping hand.

ADRA Thailand has been operating a project run by the EU in Mae Sot targeting the safety and health of migrant worker factories. This project is referred to as the Enhanced Capacities for Migrant Advocacy project (ECMA) and seeks to create better conditions for workers and employers. In this project, the ‘happy factory model’ was introduced, with 20 factories agreeing to take part; Khaows company included. The ECMA team has since run several safety officer trainings for factories, which have been revealed to already be yielding results. “I learned how to be involved in safety in my factory”. As a direct result of this training, Khaow has placed fire extinguishers throughout the entire factory, as well as fire exits and signs; they also have safety warning signs on the walls. This is already a significant improvement in emergency preparedness and general OHS standards.                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

The project has also conducted workshops on capacity building and organisational management for factory owners; which has introduced new concepts and strategies (such as the strategy house) for factories which Khaow states is “very useful and relevant. I will apply to my work”.

Soon the project will host more firefighting workshops with local fire brigades as part of this initiative, which Khaow is looking forward to, “We would like to see more firefighting training, this is a real issue for us”. Khaow has also made some progress with hygiene standards in the factory. Unlike safety, it is sometimes difficult for people to correlate the importance of best hygiene practices in the workplace with personal health, so it will take some time to get everyone on board with tackling this issue. For now, he has been putting up hygiene and sanitation signs around the building to promote the issue, and has started discussing further improvements with migrant employees.

It is a slow process and Khaow recognises that their factory is not 100% at the happy safe factory model yet, but everything he is learning will continue to push forward with improving standards. He suggests that ADRA hire experts to continue providing first aid training, firefighting workshops and other practical initiatives to continue building capacity in migrant worker factories as it is “a benefit to all of us”.

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