This year has been a very special year for the young people PUB protects and nurtures and for a few young and old from home.
The College has had a difficult year but beginning in late Sept we began to continue our integration into a Thai Karen Village in Thailand on the border. The college, that is the hope for many young Karen, is now called a Learning Centre to fit with the Thai Ministry of Education guidelines. This means more safety and more opportunity. While the College's original home remains in Karen State and they do make forays back there for the sheer beauty and love of a little bit of their home, these cannot be permanent because of the continued threat of attack from the Burmese Military.
We have almost finished the necessary building for 50 people on our tiny wedge of hillside in Doh Tah Village, so now there is some comfort albeit cramped. Here, we have a place where we can learn, and a place where volunteers can come and stay - integrate with the students, learn from this incredible experience and teach.
We have been so lucky this first trial year to have 4 young volunteers from Canada. The student's English is so very much better now because of these three young women from Orillia and one from Toronto.
The Mae Tao Clinic has also benefitted from a two month visit by Dr. Frank (Brewster) and a shorter 4th visit by Dr John (Toye) which is pretty special because they, like David and I have lost their hearts to the Karen people, their generosity, their courage and their plight and without question we hold them in our hearts and will all come back.
Please have look at our special graduation picture and read what one of our volunteers had to say.
Thanks,
Cathy and David
From Tracy Penley, Orillia, Project Umbrella Burma Volunteer
When you think of a graduation, you think of an end to something with the focus now on the future. At Kaw Tha Blay, there is much talk of the future with the graduating students. They all seem to be sad that they are going to be finished at Kaw Tha Blay but are very excited to move on to something that can put them one step closer to helping their people. In Canada, the options after graduation are unlimited. As I found out from my time here, there are many options here for graduating students too, but they may not be as lucrative as those back home. Of the eleven students graduating, two will go on to teacher training and will return to their villages in Karen State to teach their communities. Four will study to be medics, with a few becoming backpacker medics – those who travel into Karen State to help people who have no access to healthcare. The rewards are great but it is a very dangerous choice. There are two girls who would like to work with the Karen Women’s Organization – an organization that works to promote the rights of Karen women through education, empowerment, and micro-finance opportunities. There are three students who are undecided on what to do, but they have a few options: officers in the army, further schooling or even assisting Project Umbrella Burma and Kaw Tha Blay with the various projects it has. It is quite apparent that these students are thinking of the future and trying to make a difference in the lives of those around them.
One of Kaw Tha Blay’s goals as a college is to mold the students into leaders so that they can help their people. From my two months at the college, I have seen a great deal of leadership in all the students. The graduating students are just one example of that idea of leadership. Instead of immigrating to a third country and struggling to survive there, they are going to be leaders for their people right here in their own country and struggle to create change any way they can.
When I initially thought of what it was to be a leader, I thought of someone who can command a group of people and people listen to what they say. After spending time with the students, I can see that a leader is much more than that. Not all leaders have to be the outspoken, strong and dominant. Many of the students are not like that, some would even call them a tad shy, but they do demonstrate leadership through their actions. Simply participating in class and completing one’s homework shows the others that education is important and they should follow suit. Punctuality is something every leader should have, and I am ashamed to say that I was probably late for more classes than my students! I’ve learned that confidence alone does not make a leader, but there are equally important characteristics like patience, self-respect and dedication.
My experiences here at Kaw Tha Blay have been nothing but rewarding. Living at the college has allowed me to better understand the students and their individual personalities. I could not have gotten that experience by simply traveling or visiting for a few days. I truly feel that the students have accepted me and I have become a part of their daily lives. It will be extremely hard to leave after graduation, as contact with them is not always guaranteed. I wish that I could have yearly updates on each and every one of them so that I could always know that they are ok and have become the leaders I know they can be. It is an assurance to know that Project Umbrella Burma and Kaw Tha Blay will be there to educate more students so they can also move into the future as leaders who have dignity and dreams.
There are a few experiences I’ve had at Kaw Tha Blay that I will always remember.
In the middle of January we gave the girls crochet hooks, knitting needles, weaving materials as well as yarn. The most popular option was crocheting, and the girls taught those who did not know how. They took to it like fish to water. For three days straight the girls had their crochet hooks and yarn with them everywhere they went. We eventually had to tell them that crochet was for free time only, and free time did not mean midnight either.
Another memory I have is of a few boys working together to attach bookshelves to the school walls. It was a major accomplishment for them as the builders had managed to do everything until that point. They were given the chance to use the power drill, and even took initiative to use a level! For an hour and a half there was a lot of drilling but when they were finished, the look on their faces said everything.
Toilets are a running problem at the College. When we arrived in January, the “western” toilet was out of commission, and another was being built. One day, Cathy and three of the boys decided that they would fix the clogged toilet. I was in the cafeteria when they came walking up the hill towards me. Cue the Ghostbusters theme song. There they were, one boy carrying the clothes hanger, another carrying a toilet scrubber and the third carrying a bucket. All three plus Cathy looked like they had just battled a large demon and were positively tuckered yet as they walked, they had this swagger of confidence because they had defeated the demon!
One thing that may seem insignificant to others but really made an impact on me was the simple use of affection. I am not a person who gives or takes affection relatively easily but the Karen people are certainly comfortable with it. Within a week of staying at the college, I was being given hugs and having my hand held among other affectionate behaviours. As the weeks progressed it became even more impulsive and frequent between the girls and I. I found myself giving hugs and reaching out to touch someone because it felt right and I wanted to. This is one thing that I am going to miss when I leave. Karen people are very affectionate with the same sex, even the boys would hold hands and touch while in class. Some of the boys were as affectionate as the girls with me too. If I had to put in words why these behaviours made such an impact on me, I would have to say that it was their way of showing their appreciation and affection. In a world where things are never constant and tomorrow is not always predictable, a simple gesture lets someone know they are loved and is a form of comfort to the person initiating the affection too.
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