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Year 2002 - Nursery School

Over $4000 was provided in 2002 to setup a nursery school just inside the Shan border

Report to Burma Lifeline on Nursery School Project
December 29, 2002

Background - In February 2001, following fighting between the SPDC and Shan troops opposite the northern Chiang Rai border of Thailand, refugees began fleeing from villages inside Shan State to the Thai border. These refugees tried to set up a refugee camp just inside Thailand, but were pushed out by the Thai authorities. They therefore formed a camp near the border, where they were offered some protection by Shan resistance troops. This camp now houses over 1700 refugees, mostly Shan and Akha.

Implementation of nursery school project - Since mid-2001 there has been a primary school set up at the camp, which now has over 154 students (82 girls, 72 boys), with three classes. In late 2001, the camp committee requested to support a nursery school for the younger children in the camp.

In December, 2001, US$4214 was received from Burma Lifeline in support of this project. During January to April, 2002, the camp committee levelled the ground, constructed the nursery school building and bought basic equipment and supplies for the school. In May, 2002, the school was opened.

From May to December, 2002, the school has been running without interruption (despite a fierce SPDC attack on a Shan base a few kilometers east of the camp in June, 2002). There are two teachers, both Thai Shans who have had former experience teaching small children in Ban Thoed Thai, Chiang Rai province. There are also two assistants, who clean the school and cook food for the children.

The school currently has 50 young children attending (31 boys and 19 girls). The school is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Breakfast and lunch are cooked for the children. Shan and English are taught to the children.

Evaluation - The teachers reported that the children enjoy coming to the nursery school. The fact that the children can come to school enables their mothers to go and work in the nearby tea plantations to earn extra income for the family. Also, the fact that the school provides two meals a day for the children ensures that they are receiving proper nutrition. The head teacher of the primary school at the camp has reported that at the primjary school, where two meals have been served to the children since September, 2002, compared to the previous year, where no food was served, the number of absenses from illness has decreased markedly. Whereas in 2001, often half of the students were absent from illness, now less than 10 students (out of the toal of over 150) had been absent from illness recently.

Financial Summary - Total funds provide by Burma Lifeline - US$4,214
Total expenditure - US$4500 (excess covered by anohter private donor)

Month	Building	School Supplies	Staff support (4 persons)	Food	Total
Jan 02	$800	-	-	-	$800
May 02	$375	$675	$180	$140	$1370
June 02	-	-	$180	$140	$320
July 02	-	-	$180	$140	$320
August 02	-	-	$180	$140	$320
September 02	-	$40	$180	$140	$360
October 02	-	$50	$180	$140	$370
November 02	-	-	$180	$150	$320
December 02	-	-	$180	$180	$320
Total	-	-	-	-	$4500