Foundation for Education and Development (formerly Grassroots HRE) is working to promote education, human rights, and the development of safe, working environment for Burmese migrants and their families in Thailand. Our programs are currently focused on Burmese migrants in Phang Nga, South Thailand and Mae Sot. We are working with other regional and international organizations to achieve our goals.

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Workers Can Read Books at Home PDF Print E-mail
Saturday, 17 November 2007 17:47

Ma Phyu

A mobile library program is run by Grassroots HRE & Development committee's staff for the Burmese migrant workers who have difficulty accessing assistance from NGOs and other state agencies due to isolated locations.

A Burmese migrant woman, Ma Phyu, reported that " in our construction site, the women don't have to work and just stay at home for looking after children. So, when we get the chance to borrow books while we are living at home, it makes us happier for our lives in Thailand. We have difficult getting books here though we like reading very much. We thank the people who organized the program for us." Ma Phyu is living in construction site, located in Khao Lak.

On behalf of rubber plantation workers, plantation resident Ma Moe Moe said: " we are working at night and we are free in the day time. So, we need to read in our free time. However, our place is very far from the main road and it is difficult to access from the outside. But, with this program, the social workers can come here and arrange for the lending of books for one week. Then next week they come and collect the previous books while they bring other new books. So, it is like lighting up our lives where we used to be living in darkness."

Tun Naing Win, the GHRE staff who brings the books for the workers who live in remote and isolated rubber and palm plantation also notes: "our lives in Thailand had no relation to literature until this program started. When I joined GHRE's staff, I wanted to serve our people and to light up their knowledge because I understand and feel their desire to read books. That's why I am contributing in this program."

GHRE is running this program with almost no assistance from outside. However, the program needs outside contribution in order to expand access to the very far and remote communities of migrants. Furthermore, the library should be expanded and should include a broader variety of topics to both educate and entertain migrants through reading.

 


 
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