Posted by John Schorr on Aug 02, 2020

As part of our efforts to respond to the critical basic survival needs created by the economic collapse associated with the Covid-19 Pandemic, CMIRC has sought partners to identify children in need and to provide those children with life’s basic needs. Working with Philanthropy Connections Foundation (PCF) and the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN), we identified a nursery school right outside a Shan refugee camp on the Burmese border in Chiang Mai Province. We then reached out to Rtn. Kim White and his Road To A Better Life Foundation and they contributed over 100,000 Baht, 50% of which was used to help feed the children in the nursery school. Our donations will provide school lunches for 120 nursery school children for 5 months!

Many of our members wanted to see this lunch program in action, so P Clarence, Rtn Aree, Rotary Inspiration Officer Areeya, PE Dylan, Rtn Viki, Khun Nalina, Charlotte, Max, Sec. Nick, Friend of Rotary Bob Burr, PP John and Volunteer-on-Call Phijitra traveled to the camp just outside Piang Luang on the 23rd and 24th of July.

We were very impressed with the work SWAN and PCF are doing there and with the wonderful programs they are able to provide the children in the camp with very limited budgets. Special thanks to Ying Charm Hom for helping us to organize this trip and for introducing us to village leaders and teachers.