:Title:    Project Mae Usu
:Author:   Linda Nowakowski
:Date:     Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:37:02 PDT
:URL:      http://www.ned.com/user/u523412994/news/26/

The month I spent in Mae Usu working with the Karen children has told me that I can not stand by talking about the needs and not work to do something about supplying those needs.

Currently the Abbot (Luang Por Thammasak) of Wat Mae Usu (the local Buddhist temple) is fostering almost 200 Karen children from villages all over the area.  He is providing them a place to live so that they do not have to walk back and forth to school 2 hours each way. He has gotten some charitable support.  Tsu Chi purchased land and built a dormitory for the girls several years ago.  A dormitory for the boys has been built under the main sala (temple building). Usually several times a year a foundation from Bangkok comes in and provides medical/dental support and other charitable contributions. They are also contributing toward feeding the children.  The school at the children are attending has provided some support with mats and blankets and perhaps most importantly with a lunch meal 5 days a week.  

When I left, we heard that the government support through the school is stopping for some un-explained reason. 

Currently, the girls cook their own meals in a living situation where they are largely unattended and unsupervised. They badly need an adult living with them to help provide guidance particularly for the younger girls (kindergarten ad early primary).  This person would also provide some one to overseen school attendance and be there to help sick children.  Currently, the food that the children eat each day is delivered while they are at school.  With no one there, sometimes some of the food turns up missing.  The supplies that they get are already meager and the loss of a package of meat can cut their already inadequate protein allotment. 

I estimated that currently the children are getting something like 10 grams of protein a day. They should be getting, on average, more like 20-45 grams.  They get no fruit in their diets and all vegetables are cooked to a point where their vitamin content is questionable.

I believe that the following additions would help to make the situation better in the short run while long term plans are developed and implemented.

 1 A mother of one of the children or perhaps a group of mothers rotating  into the position could stay at the dormitory with the children to provide supervision and security.  I believe that this could easily be accomplished with a wage of 5,000 baht a month.

 2 1 Fruit portion could be provided each day for each child at a cost of 7,500 baht per month

 3 The protein in their diets could be doubled for the same 7,500 baht.

The major problems facing 200 children right now could be dealt with for 20,000 baht a month or about $670 US.  This would not only deal with the malnutrition that fall of the children are suffering from but would also generate a job paying 5,000 for someone in a community where the average income is about 6,000 baht **a year**. The local purchase of food would further stimulate a weak economy.

I can not do this myself.  I only bring home a bit more than that 20,000 baht a month with my job. If anyone is interested in supporting this project, please contact me and I will arrange some way that we can manage the funding.