Taipei Overseas Peace Service (TOPS) - 2012 Thai-Myanmar border introduction

Taipei Overseas Peace Service (TOPS) provides educational services to children from outlying township villages, migrant worker families and refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border. Since its establishment in 1980, TOPS has provided services in Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Cambodia and the Thai-Myanmar border. In cooperation with other international organizations it has also assisted in providing education, health care, food and other humanitarian assistance to over 1 million people. In particular, the task force working in the Thai-Myanmar border has been in operation for over 17 years, and in spite of a lack of financial resources, the team has stuck to providing teacher training and front-line assistance to refugee camps, including children’s stationery, lunches, and environmental improvement services to assist in border refugee self-reliance.

The hard work of TOPS means that out-of-school children have the ability to improve their educational opportunities.The financial crisis in recent years has led to divestment from many international organizations. In addition, serious flooding in Thailand last year caused the spread of infectious diseases, and it was vulnerable women and children who had to bear the brunt of suffering - fires at 2 kindergartens in the refugee camp have made things even worse. The difficult reconstruction process will require both human fortitude and financial capital, and citizen journalists want to encourage people from walks of life to give their support and ensure that the future of refugees, is a bright one.

PeoPo 公民新聞

Taipei Overseas Peace Service (TOPS) - 2012 Thai-Myanmar border introduction (by CJ TOPS)
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/97707

(以下是中文對照)

台北海外和平服務團(TOPS) 2012泰緬邊境服務計畫簡介 ( TOPS )

台北海外和平服務團(TOPS)在泰緬邊境，為難民、偏鄉部落以及緬甸移工的兒童教育進行服務。自 1980年起，TOPS就長期在盧安達、坦尚尼亞、肯亞、柬埔寨及泰緬邊境等地區，與其他國際組織一同協助難民營裡的教育、醫療和糧食等人道援助工作，受援助者超過百萬人次以上，尤其泰國工作隊在泰緬邊境蹲點服務達17年之久，雖然民間的資源有限，卻堅守在第一線援助難民營裡的師資培訓、學童文具用品、營養午餐和環境改善等服務，希望協助邊境難民自力更生，使失學兒童有接受完善教育的機會。    近年來金融危機導致許多國際組織撤資、去年又遭受泰國洪水使得傳染病蔓延，脆弱的婦女和幼童成為首當其衝的對象。今年二月難民營大火，造成兩所幼兒園 慘遭祝融，又是雪上加霜。艱辛的重建過程除了需要人力也需要資金，公民記者期待各界加入，許難民一個未來。

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