On a sunny June morning, the peaceful atmosphere in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand was palpable—the sounds of birds chirping, roosters crowing, and branches swaying were a constant in the background. Amidst this tropical atmosphere, the Children of the Forest (CoF) team was preparing to provide education, protection, and medical support to over 350 kids and their family members.
The escalating conflict in Burma since last fall has made CoF's educational mission a beacon of hope for stateless children and their families. With a staggering 50% increase in internally displaced people—at least 3 million civilians, according to the United Nations, one-third of whom are children whose education has been put on hold—the need for CoF's work has never been more urgent.
Just a month into the school year, CoF is continuing to do what it's always done: provide breakfast, run a clinic, and maintain family support and residence programs for the displaced. The intense pressure on the programs that CoF runs isn’t a new phenomenon for them, and the organization’s philosophy remains the same, no matter the circumstances.
“Our policy has always been to never turn down a child who needs to go to school.”
Getting each child into the Thai education system is a first step towards getting their identification card and moving them out of statelessness. CoF’s response to the recent increased demand is made possible by individual donors as well as foundations like EMA. EMA’s support has been essential to the stability of the organization, contributing to the work of their medical clinic and to CoF’s ongoing ability to provide emergency child protection services and counseling.
According to Mark Curragh, CoF Program Manager, direct support from those programs has helped over 2,000 women and children. And at least 45 former CoF students have chosen to return to Sangkhlaburi to help other children by working for CoF after finishing their education at university. Their success is a testament to the positive impact of education and its potential to make a difference in the lives of even more children. “There are stories like this every day,” said Curragh.
One of those stories is that of a young woman who attended CoF’s free school as a child and returned to work for the organization after graduating from university with a Masters degree in Counseling. Her experience in that field enabled her to recognize a CoF student who was struggling and discover that they were facing abuse at home. Her keen awareness that something may not be right made it possible for the child to be offered protection at CoF. Her courage was fostered during her own time as a student at CoF, enabling her today to help make a better life for others.
The work CoF is doing throughout the current conflict provides a way out for children who are deemed invisible by the system. Their commitment to their mission along with the support of donors and foundations such as EMA help give children and families a chance to thrive and tell their own stories.
Learn more about how you can donate to CoF’s work supporting and educating stateless children here.
