A short time ago I visited Myint Wai at the DEARBurma project in Bangkok. I decided to try the overnight bus to save on plane fare and a night in the guest house. The trip takes around 9 hours and aside from not getting much sleep and a little difficulty trying to check into a room at 6:00, it went pretty smoothly. My fellow passengers had no trouble at all dropping off and the en route video was accompanied by a full chorus of snoring that fired up shortly after departure. I’m not sure where Thais acquire the skill of instantly falling asleep but I remain reasonably confident that they don’t teach that at school.
Myint Wai has been directing the school for the past seven years and we’ve supported them for the last four. Unlike all of the other projects we support this school is not free and the majority of their funds comes from the 300 Baht charged per course. They teach several levels of English, Thai and computer applications. Classes meet every Sunday for 10 weeks at a Thai school in downtown Bangkok which is rapidly becoming too small. Myint Wai informed me that there are over 900 students enrolled this term and the building seemed ready to burst at the seams. Most of the students are domestic workers and while paying 300 baht is manageable, it also tends to ensure that everyone shows up for class. I imagine that they’ll be able to continue there as long as the school doesn’t get much bigger yet I worry that it will. Among all the different ethnic groups of people that we work with I’ve never seen one that would turn students away because the school was full. We’ve spent a bit of time trying to extol the merits of smaller class sizes (especially in language courses) but there always seems to be room for “just a few more”.
The security at the school has improved dramatically as almost all of the students are registered and have received work permits for the year. This can cost around 9,000 Baht a year which is a lot for an immigrant worker but the penalties and fines for being caught without one can be severe. This year they have also found a lawyer who volunteers his services when someone’s having a particularly rough time with the authorities. Lastly, the school is listed with the Thai Allied Committee with Desegregated Burma Foundation. This is a registered NGO here which lends a good deal of legitimacy to the project. The combination of the above has all but ended the hassling and arrests of students that was all too common last year.
Early this year when Liz, Judy Noyes and I visited DEARBurma we learned of three satellite libraries learning centers that they had recently opened South of Bangkok. These areas hold many Burmese immigrants who work in the fishing industry. As well as providing books, the centers disseminate information on health and legal issues for the workers.
At times there have been Thai language classes there and they also serve as meeting places. There are hopes for computers with internet access one day and one small children’s school near Surat Thani which, if I understood correctly, could really use some help. When I returned the next day to meet with Myint Wai and Joe Serrani we talked about ways BREF might further its involvement DEARBurma with particular focus on the libraries/learning centers. We all agreed it would be a good place for trustee representatives to visit on the trip next year and we’re currently trying to see how that fits into every ones schedule. By the way, I first met Joe about four years ago when he had a paid teaching job in Bangkok and volunteered teaching English on Sundays at the school. He has stayed with the program ever since and now volunteers full time as the projects Foreign Affairs Coordinator. I’m not sure how Joe “feeds the Bulldog” but it is great that he’s been able to stay on. It’s always reassuring to work with volunteers who have a lot of personal time and energy invested in a project and can vouch for its effectiveness. Kudos Joe, look forward to seeing you in February.