Help without Frontiers

Help without Frontiers is a relief organization with headquarters in Bolzano (South Tyrol, Italy) and branch offices in Graz ( Austria ), Zurich ( Switzerland ) and Bangkok ( Thailand; Help without Frontiers Foundation Thailand ).

The nonprofit organization helps the threatened minorities in Burma, forced to flee from persecution and repression by the military regime. The field of application is the Thai - Burmese border. Here, Help has no boundaries obliged to have all donations fully incorporated into the projects. The expenses for administration, travel and communication are covered by separate revenue earmarked by the members, public and private contributions Supporter Program. In recognition of the efficient, selfless assistance was the founder and chairman of Help without Frontiers, Benno Röggla, awarded on August 15, 2006 with the Medal of Merit of the State of Tyrol and in November 2009 with the honor medal of his hometown Brixen. On April 21, 2012, he was from the South Tyrolean Kiwanis clubs of the " Prize for Humanity " award

Help without Frontiers is committed to the principle of transparency. The Seal of Approval " donate safely " and " Carta della Donazione - Donare con Fiducia " certify this principle.

The objectives of the organization are:

• To achieve sustainable and effective projects together with the refugees of various minorities in the Thai exile and in the IDP refugee settlements in the Burmese border area,
• The donated funds to be used efficiently in terms of a partnership - entrepreneurial approach,
• Volunteers the opportunity to participate to allow on site, and thus raising awareness about the situation in Burma to operate,
• Home to inform people about the true extent of the Burmese tragedy and the hidden eyes of the world genocide,
• To regularly disseminate news from the world press on developments in Burma and the situation of refugees on its website and via newsletter.

Projects

Health and Medicine

Help without Frontiers funded "health and medicine ", etc. a prosthetic workshop with attached trauma department at the Mae Tao Clinic of Dr. Cynthia Maung (250 prosthesis for victims of mines per year ), a jungle clinic and a first aid station on Burmese area (catchment area of ​​more than 9,000 people ).

Schools and education

In the " Schools and Education " funded the club schools along the border in Thailand and in the jungles of Burma ( Karen State ) for over 5,500 students. Most, housed in simple buildings schools cover primary and middle school. At three schools upper stages also are offered. the subjects include languages ​​( Burmese, Karen, Thai, English ), mathematics, history, geography, natural history, etc. Although graduates receive certificates, but they are without legal value.

For its own nine " Ray of Hope " schools in the Greater Mae Sot offers Help without Frontiers additional education, training and further education measures in the form of course on evenings, weekends, or in the form of " camps " during the holidays. In addition to subject-specific topics include mainly English, Thai, computing and the Internet, but also art, music, crafts, sports, creative, etc. Also several months of preparation of graduates selected for the competition for scholarships from other organizations is one of them.

Help without Frontiers is working with the Thai Ministry of Education - together and worked on a legislative proposal to legalize migrant schools along the border and the children thus ensuring safety and legally valid certificates (Ministry of Education MOE). The teachers are thus legalized and have no fear of deportation. For this proposed legislation includes a customized integration to curriculum, which is now implemented in a gradual and entails a high additional training burden.

Help without Frontiers is also the local partner of the " Mekong Youth Network - MYN " program, which trains young people and networks in seven Southeast Asian countries (including Burma and Thailand). Among the main topics: human and children's rights, development and management of communities, project work, health care, drug issues, disaster relief and prevention of human trafficking. The MYN youth lead since autumn 2009 to all refugee schools in the area of Mae Sot appropriate courses and make a one-hour radio show on transmission of rented space at a local radio.

Income projects

Two "income projects ", primarily for refugee women, have become a centerpiece of the activities of Help without Frontiers along the border: The "yummy! Meals for Schools " project and the " The Happy Tailor " sewing workshop provide the free supply of refugee schools with healthy food and school uniforms secure.

Overall, opened in June 2008 kitchen and sewing room employ more than 20 employees. Working hours comply with legal requirements, overtime will be paid. The workstations are clean, hygienic, safe and ergonomically correct, experts are regularly invited to review and improve. The salaries are 13 salaries per year over local level, plus there is free food from the kitchen. The staff is sick and accident insurance. A voluntary savings plan in the voluntary all employees can deposit up to 30 percent of their wages on a monthly basis, is made by small grants through Help attractive without limits. Employees can borrow small amounts that they pay back with interest, to create, for example, sewing machines for home to work together to secure an additional income in your spare time and with the other family members. For all employees a residence and work permit is organized. A First Aid Course was held. The fire brigade of Mae Sot was the kitchen staff from the correct behavior in case of fire and the proper use of fire extinguishers.

The kitchen of the "yummy! Meals for Schools " program is now daily more than 3000 healthy and varied meals for students from twelve schools, and four student hostels for free here and delivers them to a private vehicle. The average cost per meal inclusive of all costs amount to less than 0.30 euro. Every month there are meetings with representatives of the schools to discuss the menu sequence and possibly solve problems, and so the service to improve step by step. A nutritionist advises the club there. A drinking water filter system makes it possible to produce clean drinking water and deliver free schools, homes and refugee communities.

The impact on children's health are obvious. To stabilize the health care the children Help without Frontiers once a week and in addition free of fruit and 200 ml of fresh milk ( costs 0.15 euros per week per child ). The food program of Help without Frontiers relieved the impoverished parents of refugee children financially and so has led to the reduction of early school leaving and keeps these children from hard labor at a tender age, or even begging and collecting rubbish.

The "The Happy Tailor" sewing workshop produces the required school uniforms in better quality than available on the market, and at the same time at a lower cost. For the " Ray of Hope " schools, school uniforms heavily subsidized prices are free, others pay schools, if at all. In addition, athletic shorts and shirts, work clothes, uniforms for medical personnel, etc. made ​​to order. Each claimed by selling baht remains in the project and gives the club the opportunity to produce more free school uniforms for refugee children and distribute.