Help AIIAS Students Bring Hope to Myanmar Refugee Kids
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Learning is incomplete without an aspect of service. Graduate students at AIIAS (the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies) value service as seriously as we value learning.
Because of this belief, the AIIAS Education Department Student Association (EDSA) is organizing a mission trip to help support two schools catering to refugee children on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Fifty-one (51) students and faculty will help train teachers, develop the physical aspects of the schools (including a science lab), and host a week of prayer. The mission trip will be July 12-25, 2024.
The group will be split between two schools to maximize our efforts: Sunshine Orchard Learning Center and Naung Bo Den Learning Center. Both schools rely on donations and Adventist volunteers to run and provide essential education and vocational training. These schools are not just educational centers; they are beacons of hope for hundreds of children from impoverished and war-torn areas.
As graduate students focused on education, business, public health, and religion, we have skills to help both schools serve their students better and better support the refugee communities surrounding them.
We need your help to make this a reality! We believe that together, we can make a lasting impact and bring hope to those in need. The mission trip will cost approximately $21,000 USD without airfare for the group. This amount will go towards the materials and construction projects at both schools (including a science lab where students can gain a practical education), as well as other necessities for the trip.
Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in the lives of these children and the success of our mission. Thank you for partnering with us to make this a reality. Your kindness and generosity will be a blessing beyond measure.
Schools:
- Sunshine Orchard Learning Center caters to over 1,000 students, many of whom are refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Karen State, Burma. It is currently one of the schools supported by Shathal International, a non-profit organization.
- Naung Bo Den Learning Center, although smaller, serves a critical role in providing education to more than 150 boarding children from pre-KG (nursery) to grade 10 in challenging circumstances. It is supported by the local Adventist church’s donations and offerings.
Activities:
1. Education Empowerment: We will share our knowledge and expertise in education with the faculty and students of both centers, empowering them with new teaching methods and tools.
2. Spiritual Outreach: Through evangelistic meetings and sharing God’s word, we aspire to bring spiritual comfort and hope to these children and their families facing difficult circumstances.
3. Construction Projects: We will undertake manual labor projects such as building a science lab at Naung Bo Den Learning Center and a takraw court at Sunshine Orchard Learning Center to enhance the learning environment and physical well-being of the students.
4. Community outreach – We will reach out to the surrounding community to carry out needed health awareness and services with support from our students from public health departments and health professional volunteers joining us for the mission trip.
For more information, you can also watch the following videos:
Sunshine Orchard Learning Center
Naung Bo Den
Organizer
Ginger Ketting Weller
Organizer
Riverside, CA