Improving Living Conditions for Girls in Mae Sot
At the beginning of the year, Eliza, an architect and friend of our organization, traveled to Mae Sot in Thailand as part of the hands-on project organized by the Foundation of German Architects. The town is located about 30 kilometers from the border with Myanmar and serves as a refuge for many families fleeing the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar. Together with other participants, Eliza supported the Huay-Ka-Loke School (also known as the CDTC School), which provides education and accommodation to children from various social and cultural backgrounds.
Background on the Refugee Situation in Myanmar
Myanmar has been marked by ethnic conflict and political instability for decades. Since the military coup in February 2021, the situation has worsened: according to a UN report, more than 5,350 civilians have been killed since then, including 2,414 between April 2023 and June 2024 alone. The violence has forced millions to flee. It is estimated that around 184,600 people have fled from Myanmar to neighboring countries such as Thailand since the coup. As a result, many Burmese children now live in Mae Sot, often separated from their parents, hoping for a future in safety. Even though Thailand offers them protection, they unfortunately continue to face racist hostility as refugees.
Improving Living Conditions Outside the School Grounds
The participants of the All-Hands project rebuilt and expanded the school using recycled materials to accommodate the growing number of students. In addition to her work with the Foundation of German Architects, Eliza wanted to make another contribution and approached us with an idea. Since the accommodation for the 60 boys had already been renovated by another organization, she was particularly concerned about the living conditions of the girls. Together, we implemented an additional project to improve the housing situation for the 89 girls living there. The girls live outside the school grounds, about a five-minute walk away, in simple accommodations consisting of a small house and two bamboo huts. These were in dire need of renovation: there were holes in the floor, the roof was leaking, space was insufficient, and most importantly, there were not enough adequate mattresses for the girls.
We provided a total of €1,000 for the project. With this amount, Eliza was able to organize 60 new mattresses and matching straw mats locally—a much-needed contribution, as there had previously not been enough sleeping spaces for the newly admitted girls. The mats serve as a base so the mattresses don’t have to lie directly on the floor. Additionally, new flooring was installed in both houses, the roof was repaired, and eucalyptus wood shelves were built to store the mattresses during the day.
The manual work was carried out by Burmese refugees, who were fairly paid according to the Thai minimum wage. Within just four days, they completed impressive work. They were supported by the girls, who helped clean up enthusiastically, while the boys assisted with unloading materials on the school grounds.
We thank Eliza for her dedication on site and the Foundation of German Architects for their sustainable and direct work in Mae Sot!
