Mae Tao Clinic has asked Chiang Mai International Rotary Club for support in procuring adequate fresh drinking water for all who visit Mae Tao Clinic. We are delighted to help. The Mae Tao Clinic is the hub of the Burmese Community in Mae Sot Thailand. Every day there are between 300 and 500 patients plus their family members at the clinic. The Mae Tao Clinic also conducts training for medics and nurses who serve their communities in Myanmar.
Can you Help?If you feel like you are suffering from donor fatigue, just skip down to Success Details and read the the rest of the story. It's all good. We still need to raise the last 4,500 THB. When I arrived in Mae Sot on the 18th of January, I thought the number would be 13,500 THB, but due to the brilliance of the camp engineer, 4,500 will totally finish this project. There are three easy ways to donate:
a. Hand me some cash if you are here in Chiang Mai.
b. Make a bank transfer to our account set up to support the Mae Tao Clinic.
BANK: BANK OF BANGKOK, Kad Suan Kaew branch
SWIFT CODE: BKKBTHBK
ROUTING NO: 026-008-691 (For USA)
ACCOUNT HOLDERS: MR WILLIAM CAREY MASON AND MR GERALD EDWARD NELSON
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 531-0-82675-4
(Please send me an email and let me know you donated here; helps me keep the books straight)!
In the majority of government hospitals in Thailand and Myanmar, there is no water available for out-patients and their families. Patients are expected to buy their own water. In the past this has been the Case at Mae Tao Clinic. Many of these people simply do not have enough money to pay for their own water needs. MTC hosts 300 – 500 patients a day plus their family members. These tanks will also support the Burmese medics who are at Mae Tao Clinic receiving medical training. In addition the tanks will allow free clean water for the Mae Tao Clinic staff. Because of decisions by major donors to send their money inside Burma, MTC is underfunded. Every saving is critical.
My hopes is that this last appeal will raise more money that we will need to finish this project. Please know that all donations received will go to the Mae Tao Clinic. The first 4,500 THB designated for the completion of this project and all remaining will be earmarked for our next project which will be General Education Development (G.E.D.) scholarships for migrant students. Details in the next month or so.
Success Details: CMIRC took up the task of funding the water tank project and have exceeded the initial request, thanks to the generous donations of many who will read this. A huge thank you to all who participated. We have raised and donated a total of 76,500 THB for this project.
1. Water Filter Systems, 7 each at 4,500 THB = 31,500 THB
2. 150 Liter Water Tanks, 10 each at 4,200 THB = 42,000 THB
3. Maintenance at 5.000 per year for 3 years = 03,000 THB
TOTAL = 76,500 THB
As of the walk thru on 18 January we observed and photographed 6 water tanks with new filter systems are at New Pharmacy, Dental Clinic, Kitchen, Reproductive Health Unit, Child Inpatient Unit, Child Recreation Center/ Day Care center. 2 water tanks with previously purchased filter systems were installed near the patient house and the big hall. The walk through was in late afternoon and most of the out-patients had departed. The next morning I was back conducting a tour and was delighted to see that the tanks were most appreciated, especially by parents with small children.
Thrsty Children
One water tank awaiting arrival of a water filter syustem which was ordered on 16 January. (will be installed at the admin building). One last water tank awaiting a suitable water filter (will be installed on the old campus)
Supporting the Mae Tao Clinic is the best way I know to support the migrant / refugee population along the Thai / Myanmar border. While this campaign will not take the format of a Rotary Global Grant, we will apply the same standard of accountability and sustainability. Thank you so much for your support.
Chiang Mai International Rotary Club will coordinate a tour of the Mae Tao Clinic on Thursday 16 February 2017. This is a great opportunity for people to learn more about the clinic, experience a bit of the culture and perhaps enjoy a great meal or two.
Each participant is responsible for his/her own expenses
07:30 Breakfast: Suggest either Casa Mai or Border Line Café
08:45 Depart Casa Mia for Mae Tao Clinic Old Campus
09:00 Tour of Mae Tao Clinic Old Campus
10:00 Tour of Child Development Center.
11:00 Tour of Mae Tao Clinic New Campus
12:00 Lunch Suggest Wadee Restaurant
13:00 Tour of Mae Tao Clinic New Campus
14:00 Optional Tour of other points of interest in Mae Sot.
The Mae Tao Clinic tour will show you great hope, much need, tragic facts, sadness and joy. Don’t miss out!
Contact Jerry Nelson, jerry@cmirotary.org, lineid: jerrycnx, or 089-556-4293 for more information and to sign up for tour. Everyone will be responsible for their own travel and lodging arrangements. To facilitate lodging reservations, Jerry has tentatively reserved 4 rooms at the Phannu Guesthouse for the nights of 15 and 16 February. Reservations must be confirmed not later than Thursday 26 January.
Meet Naw Gold Rain, a product of the Child Development Center and now one of their English Teachers and Student Advisor.
Her detailed story is below. Here is an extremely brief summary:
2008 –2009 - :Student at CDC
2010 – 2012 - Studied G.E.D. in Minma Haw, Mynmar
2012 – 2016 – Studied at Asia Pacific International University in Saraburi Province Thailand made possible by a scholarship from Child’s Dream Foundation. She graduated 22 May 2016 with a degree in education
27 May 206 to present: Teacher at CDC. Naw Gold Rain is teaching English. She is advisor to the Student Council and serves as the scholarship coordinator. She is a living example of what can be attained even in desperate situations!
Education is the most sustainable thing we can possibly facilitate. Knowing full well that there are many brilliant children with little or no opportunities because of their political and economic situation CMIRC and Mae Tao Clinic is considering a project to provide General Education Development (G.E.D.) scholarships to qualified migrant children in the Mae Sot area.
Abundant Blessings,
Jerry Nelson
CMIRC Mae Tao Clinic Champion
\\ Naw Gold Rain’s story as written by the Child Development Center//
Being a migrant student especially in CDC school last six years ago was like making a risky investment for the future. Unless there was luck, no one could reach to their highest potential. Last six years ago, when she was a CDC’s high school student, the opportunities for young adults were very limited since most students had no legal document. she had always felt insecure regarding her future education and career like her other classmates because there had been no one who continues university education before her patch. On contrast, she felt that she was loved and cared by the CDC teachers and staffs. She received the best education that she ever had in her past school years. She had never studied English with native speaker when she was in her mother land. It was unaffordable for her family to give her a chance to study with native English speakers. The support and encouragement that she received from CDC family was very magnificent. Even though CDC was not able to send her to the university directly, teachers helped to find many alternative ways to enter the university. With the love and help from CDC school, she was able to enter to GED program (General Education Development) in 2011 after she finished her high school in CDC.
She studied GED program for a year with 24 classmates. It was very competitive and intensive since the chance of getting scholarship was less than the number of the students. Out of 24 students, only the top 7 would be able to go to university. Unless she was at the top of the class, she would not make it to the university. So, she felt that every day was a war for all of her who was studying in GED program. Teachers kept tracking their daily and monthly assessment to compare with the past and present skills. She was able to survive in the ring with the help of her skills from CDC school and supports from CDC family such as stipend, dry food and some toiletries. When the time came, she was selected as a candidate to study in the university with full scholarship. she became one of the very first CDC students who went to the university.
With the GED certificate, She was accepted to study Education and Psychology in Asia Pacific International University in 2012. She had experienced university life and was able to fulfill her dream that she once thought impossible. She did not need to worry about tuition fees, living expenses as well as pocket money when she was studying. Her university life was easy and smooth which made her forgot all the hardships that she endured when she was young. After four years in university, 28 years of her life, she successfully received her first bachelor degree which made her into the first CDC student to graduate from an international university.
After all these years, she has learned that for a person to fulfill his or her dreams, the person itself and environment are very important. It is necessary for a person to have willingness, supporter and wait for the right timing to be able to achieve his or her goal. No matter how much she tried and work hard if there was no one who showed her the right path, it would take her longer to reach her goal. Therefore she believes that if she did not get to study in CDC school, she will not be who she is today. Through the guided of CDC teachers, she was now standing in front of 77 students teaching what she has learned from the past years.
Currently, she was teaching grade 11 and 12 students in CDC school. Although teaching high school students especially in CDC school is not easy, she is still grateful for the chance. Since the beginning of the school years, every day is full of challenges. In a classroom, there are around 25 to 28 students with 5 different levels. Teaching different levels of students is quiet challenging and tiring. Sometime make her wanted to give up on teaching. As she continues teaching, she begins to fall in love with teaching and understand her students more. On the other hand, she has been as a student in migrant learning centre as the same situation with currently students. But the opportunities are more coming to CDC. However, she believes that with the experience of teaching in CDC school, she will be able to go up to another level easily when the time comes and apply her experience with meaningfully. She was helping CDC students to make a change in their life. She said that She was guiding CDC students like what her previous teachers did with her last six years ago. She comes back to CDC school in order to show her gratitude as well as helping children who are hungry of education. There is no doubt that she understands the students more than anyone else since she was once a student in this school.
Since she fulfills one of her dreams, she was looking forward to another one which is her Master Degree again. After two years in CDC, she plans to continue her further study with education administration and develop the high education for young leader again with education. She ever talks about that before she knew CDC, her life was hard and her future was vague. Luckily her life has change ever since she gets to know CDC school. She says “Like a seed meet the correct temperature and grow into a healthy plant, I meet the temperature that is just right for me”. And nowadays, CDC school has become the source of her success.
The Mae Tao Clinic was CMIRC’s first ongoing project. We continue to support them. Most of what the do fits exactly with our signature focus: Child Safety, Health and Education. Mae Tao Clinic’s work touches all six of Rotary’s areas of focus. We realize that as a small club we can’t possibly do all that’s needed. That said, there is much we have done, are doing and will do in the future. We actively seek other Rotary Clubs to help Mae Tao Clinic. Mae Tao Clinic touches all of
Peace and Conflict/Resolution: Their work with indigenous hill tribe and other ethnic minorities makes a difference in conflict resolution within Myanmar and along the border in Thailand. The medical training and health programs inside Burma also help to reduce tensions. Mae Tao Clinic’s birth registration program allows babies the opportunity to flourish by giving them the beginnings of opportunities to be educated and work in Thailand, Myanmar.
Disease Prevention and Treatment: This is Mae Tao Clinic’s original and still primary area of focus. They have programs for the prevention and treatment of denge fever, malaria and much more.
Water and Sanitation: As their community based training and treatment expands Mae Tao Clinic must deal with water and sanitation issues in poor villages and schools on both sides of the Thai / Burma border.
Maternal and Child Health: This is one of the largest areas of focus for the Mae Tao Clinic. The new born babies at Mae Tao Clinic have a much lower morbidity rate than babies born in Burma.
Basic Education and Literacy: Mae Tao Clinic focuses on the child. Their Child Development Center can take as many as 1,000 migrant children.
Economic and Community Development: Mae Tao trains medics to work in Myanmar. This project touches lives of people who otherwise might not have any opportunity to make meaningful contributions to their society. The Mae Tao Clinic Training Program alone touches all six areas of focus.
Very Brief History:
At its humble beginning back in the 1980’s The Mae Tao Clinic was a very simple, one room building with only a rice cooker to sterilize instruments. Today Mae Tao Clinic provides health care to over 150,000 displaced people per year. The campus expanded one building at a time for over 20 years.
The Child Recreation Center at the old campus. Very subject to flooding!
Mae Tao clinic provides free medical service to Burmese immigrants and displaced persons along the Thai / Myanmar border in Tak province? They see between 300 and 400 patients a day, six days a week! Many travel great distances to be seen at the Mae Tao Clinic, where they can receive quality medical care in a safe environment. There is no financial obligation for the patients, this health care is funded by donors some large and some small.
Did you know that many big donors have re-directed their giving to within Myanmar, leaving Dr. Cynthia Maung and her team with horrendous funding shortfalls? While there has been some progress in Burma, many citizens are still ostracized by the government. They continue to come to Mae Tao Clinic because other options are not yet available. The most optimistic predictions indicate that the Mae Tao Clinic will be an absolute necessity for at least the next five years. Most feel the clinic will be needed for at least the next 10 years.
After years in the planning stage and construction since 2011, the new campus of Mae Tao Clinic officially opened 28 May 2016. However construction continues. It is anticipated that the full campus will be finished in 2018. The lease on the old campus will continue to be in effect until the end of 2017. In the meantime that area is being used for training rooms and temporary housing. The acupuncture clinic and the prosthetics lab are still at the old campus and will move in the future.
Part of the new campus at the time of the grand opening May 2016
Mae Tao Clinic has organized its scope of service to three main areas: Health Services, Training and Child Protection. Learn more at www.maetaoclinic.org The things they are accomplishing is truly amazing!
CMIRC's Involvement:
Introduce Members and Guests: Because the Mae Tao Clinic is located in Mae Sot, some 360 kilometers from Chiang Mai, it is not practical to have daily contact. However, several trips have been organized for the purpose of introducing our members and friends to The Mae Tao Clinic. The more people who are aware the more support we can garner. One example is an American Couple Tom and Alene Tunny who are working with their local Lions club to provide support of Mae Tao Clinic’s Eye Clinic. Another fine example is Rotarian Neal Herman of the Estes Sunrise Rotary Club; they have made significant contributions to our Mae Tao Clinic projects and we are exploring future opportunities. The orientation trips will continue; the next opportunity is the week of 13 Feburary 2017. Please contact Jerry Nelson (jerry@cmirotary.org) if you are interested.
Dr Cynthia’s talk in Chiang Mai: On 27 January 2015, CMIRC hosted a public meeting at the Le Meredian, Chiang Mai where Dr. Cynthia Maung, founder of the Mae Tao clinic was our honored guest speaker. The event was attended by well over a hundred people and raised 104,600 baht
Dr. Cynthia with students from the BEAM project
Boys Dorm: On the 28th of February, 2015 in Mae Sot Thailand a sugar cane farmer burned a field. It was a windy day and the result was the loss of 2 buildings that were home to 62 boys and 2 teachers from Mae Tao Clinic’s Child Development Center. An emergency fundraising effort spearheaded by a member of Chiang Mai International Rotary Club raised 134,300 baht which was donated to Mae Tao Clinic on 10 March.
The boys lost everything that was in the dorm, papers, study papers, clothing, everything!
Child Recreation Center: As a follow on to the fund raiser for the Boy’s Dorm another 10,000 baht was collected and transferred to Mae Tao Clinic. Largely because of a an emergency grant The Rotary One, Hong Kong the new Boy’s Dorm was fully funded. Therefore, we were able to earmark this 10,000 baht for the Child Recreation Center at the new clinic. Money was transferred on 19 May 2015.
New Campus Waste Water Management System. CMIRC raised 186,000 baht to help fund the waste water management system for the Mae Tao Clinic’s new campus. The money was transferred to them on 24 February 2016
Mae Tao Clinic’s Burma Flood Relief Project Horrendous flooding occurred in many parts of Burma in 2015. CMIRC donated 26,400 baht to Mae Tao for their flood relief project. We knew the money would go to help the flood victims.
Child Protection Training Program; We raised 159,700 baht for the Child Protection Training Program. The total budget was 156,700. The extra 3,530 baht was designated to support the nursery at the Pa-Hite clinic. Funds were transferred in 4 segments, the last on July 4, 2016.
Fresh Drinking Water: A typical government hospital or clinic in Burma or Thailand does not provide free drinking water other than to inpatients. The Mae Tao Clinic clients are typically extremely poor Burmese migrants or day travelers. They simply cannot afford to buy a bottle of water for their children or for themselves. Problem solved. CMIRC conducted a fundraiser and has financed 10 water tanks and 7 sets of water filters which are disbursed around the campus. A total of 76,500 THB was donated for this project. It is designated for
42,000 10 water tanks at 4,200 each
36,000 8 water tanks filter systems at 4,500 each
03,000 3 years maintenance at 1,000 per year
---------
81,000 THB
The MTC Maintenance Engineer has found two filter systems from other sources so now we just need one to make a total success of 10 tanks with 10 good filter systems! This project was completed on 2 February 2017!
Clean water is essential and available at Mae Tao Clinic!
Donations are Gladly Accepted: With your help we can do more. There are two easy ways to donate:
If in Chiang Mai, just hand Jerry Nelson a check or cash. Contact me at jerry@cmirotary.org or +66 89-556-4293 for more for details.
Make a electronic transfer to the Bank Account we have set up for this purpose:
BANK: BANK OF BANGKOK, Kad Suan Kaew branch
SWIFT CODE: BKKBTHBK
ROUTING NO: 026-008-691 (For USA)
ACCOUNT HOLDERS: MR WILLIAM CAREY MASON AND MR GERALD EDWARD NELSON
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 531-0-82675-4
(Please send me an email so I can thank you and keep the books straight)
Hopefully we will receive much more than 4,500 baht as a result of this appeal. Please know that all money beyond the initial 4,500 will be designated for our next project which is likely to be General Education Development (G.E.D.) scholarships. Stay tuned :-)
