With our support, Children on the Edge is building and establishing Early Childhood Development centers to provide safe spaces for young Kachin children in Internally Displaced Peoples Camps in Burma. Due to increased conflict recently, they have built 2 more new ECD centers this year, for a total of 14.
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Early Childhood Development Centers Will Support Young Kachin Children in Internally Displaced Peoples CampsContact: Nancy Nguyen, Executive Director Chao Foundation [email protected] LOS ALTOS, Calif.—Chao Foundation is pleased to announce a new grant of $50,000 to Children on the Edge, which will provide safe spaces for 554 young children displaced by conflict inside Kachin State, Burma. Conflict in BurmaSince June 2011 the Burmese central government has been in open conflict with the Kachin Independence Army, following a failure in peace talks to resolve their longstanding conflict. While this conflict dates back decades, the most intense fighting to date has happened over the past four years, forcing almost 100,000 Kachin people to flee from their homes.
As the central government appears determined to crush this remaining pocket of armed resistance in Burma, their tactics have been increasingly harsh. Children on the Edge has collected first-hand accounts from civilians who have been displaced. They speak of brutal violence, ongoing atrocities, bombings, and severe violation of human rights, including rape, maiming, executions, and the burning of villages. Many civilians have taken shelter inside poorly supplied internally displaced peoples (IDP) camps. IDP camps continue to grow, and those seeking refuge are increasingly bleak about the prospect of returning home to rebuild their lives. In the seven northern camps of Kachin State there is no other international organization offering ongoing support of any kind. The majority of these camps are in remote, mountain areas, making access difficult. Confined within these camps are thousands of Kachin children with no educational or physical support, and nowhere to escape the daily realities of war. Children on the Edge is uniquely situated to reach the marginalized and vulnerable children in the remote IDP camps. |
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November 2016
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