Help without limits

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Help without borders is a non-profit aid organization with headquarters in Brixen ( South Tyrol , Italy ). There is a sister association in Graz ( Austria ) and an independent foundation in Thailand ( Help without Frontiers Thailand Foundation ).

The organization carries out long-term aid projects ( help for self-help ) in the border area between Burma / Myanmar and Thailand . It combats the causes of poverty, discrimination and violence by focusing above all on education, further training and international understanding. It also supports projects to create income, nutrition and health. Thanks to many years of experience and a strong network, the organization also reaches remote areas.

The organization is committed to the principle of transparency . The South Tyrolean donation seal "Safe Donations" certifies this principle.

history

Help without frontiers was founded in 2002 by the South Tyrolean Benno Röggla. On a vacation trip to Thailand and Burma, Röggla got to know the suffering and misery of those persecuted and displaced by the Burmese military regime. Back in South Tyrol, he set up the aid organization Help without Frontiers and worked full-time for it from 2007 to 2016.

Help Without Borders built schools for the refugee children, as they have no right to school in Thailand without legal papers , fought the malnutrition of thousands of children with a nutrition program and encourages young people to take on personal responsibility.

Since the opening of Burma in 2011, Help without Frontiers has also started projects in the interior of the country and helps refugees on their way back to their homeland and in building a sustainable society.

Burma's public spending on education amounts to 0.8 percent of GDP - the country ranks second to last in the world.

Project focus

education

schools

Help Without Frontiers runs schools in Thailand for Burmese migrants who have fled Burma's military regime in the past . The children cannot go to school in Thailand because they have no legal papers. Help without Frontiers guarantees all children - regardless of gender, ethnicity and religion - access and equal rights to its schools. The name of the schools - "Rays of Hope" - is intended to illustrate this promise.

Almost all children in schools in Thailand are members of threatened minorities who had to flee from persecution and repression by the military regime. Therefore, since 2015, two schools have been teaching according to the Burmese curriculum. This should make it easier for the children to return to their homeland, because their certificates can then be recognized. This initiative by Help without Frontiers was expressly praised by UNESCO . In the 2014/2015 school year, 1,756 children attended one of the six schools.

Dormitories

In the student dormitories, the children of particularly poor families who would otherwise be forced to work, find safe accommodation and food. Children of migrant workers also get the chance of uninterrupted school attendance through a home place.

In the 2014/2015 school year, Help Without Frontiers maintained three student homes for a total of 169 children.

Roys of Youth

The youth project “Rays of Youth” aims to bring young people of different ethnic origins together and to train them in so-called “life skills”. This increases their self-confidence and confidence and keeps them away from the dangers of the road. They learn to see themselves as valuable members of society and to stand up for their rights.

Each year, 20 young people aged 14 and over (“ peers ”) are selected and trained at various refugee schools. These peers then serve as multipliers: they have to pass on the knowledge they have acquired to others. Hundreds of young people now regularly attend the courses and events of the “Rays of Youth” team.

Generating income

Almost exclusively Burmese and Thais work in all projects and on-site project management. The majority of the employees are women, the management level is 100 percent female. In this way, regulated and socially secure jobs are created and the skills for later successful personal initiatives are promoted. The following applies to all income projects: The workplaces are clean, hygienic , safe and ergonomically correct; Professionals are regularly invited to review and improve. The salaries are above the local level. The employees have health and accident insurance.

The sewing workshop "The Happy Tailor", in which mainly the required school uniforms are produced, is to be converted into a cooperative soon . In the meantime, external orders have been accepted and, above all, school uniforms are produced for our "Ray of Hope" schools and workwear for companies. All income stays in the project.

health and nutrition

Help without Frontiers supports projects that have a lasting impact on people's health. The “Rays of Youth” youth team teaches children in the schools in the Mae Sot area in a playful way on topics such as personal hygiene and health care . For young people, topics such as drug abuse and sexuality are also on the program, as well as health-related environmental issues such as composting and effective microorganisms (EM). Since the availability of clean drinking water is hardly guaranteed, the aid organization also delivers thousands of liters of safe drinking water every day.

awareness raising

Through targeted information work, campaigns, lectures and press work, Help without Frontiers wants to raise awareness of injustice and fight against discrimination against ethical or religious minorities.

transparency

Help without Frontiers has committed itself to a 100 percent donation guarantee, which means that all donations flow into the projects in full. This is possible because the entire expenses for administration, travel and communication are covered by separate income. For this reason, Help Without Frontiers also has separate accounts and bookkeeping for the administration.

In the annual activity report, Help without Frontiers lists in detail all income and expenses for the individual projects. The activity report is presented to the public in April of the following year.

literature

  • Benno Röggla - And the jungle cries. The real Burma . Athesia, Bozen 2006, ISIN 978-8882664268.
  • Patrick Kofler - The forgotten refugees of Burma . DVD, Helios, Brixen 2004.
  • Roland Wehap - Burma Displaced . DVD, Rowe productions, 2010.
  • Chocolate makes you full , DVD, rowe productions, 2012.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of February 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ A ray of sun
  3. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from February 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ http://www.laenderdaten.de/bildung/bildungsverbindungen.aspx
  5. ↑ http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Migrant-centres-in-Tak-recognised-by-Myanmar-schoo-30274848.html
  6. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from February 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  7. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from February 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  8. ↑ Archive link ( Memento from February 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  9. ↑ http://issuu.com/mediamacs/docs/hog_taetigkeitsbericht_2014