A visit to the Child Care Centre in Mae Hong Son

By Frans Betgem

Co-founder, Khiri Travel

The predicament of refugees around Thailand’s border camps doesn’t make the newspapers like it used to do when much of Indochina was a battle zone driven by opposing ideologies. The camps are still there. Conditions are still very poor. It’s saddening to see young children not realise their full potential because they are stateless.

I was reminded of this when I visited the Child Care Centre in Mae Hong Son in September.

The centre is located in a Karenni refugee zone on the Thai side of the border with Burma. It is a much needed safe haven for Karenni orphans and disadvantaged kids. The centre was set up and is still been run by Meredith Nunu, one of the most giving and dedicated people you are ever likely to meet. In 1994 the SLORC killed her husband in a jungle raid in Karenni state. She has been living as a Karenni refuge in camps ever since. Despite her own sorrows, Meredith is completely dedicated to the dozens of disadvantaged children in the Child Care Centre.

Khiri Travel has been supporting the centre with financial donations since 2000. I hadn’t seen Meredith for years. She is still in good health and strong spirits despite her advancing age. She admitted she’d had health problems recently. But she made light of them and turned the conversation back to the children.

Meredith told me the situation at the camp was stable. Quite a few kids have found new homes in third countries such as Australia, Sweden, Norway, Finland and America. However, there were always new Karenni arrivals fleeing from across the border, she said.

I went with a couple of the hard working staff from the centre to the market in Mae Hong Son. We bought shirts, pants, sarongs, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and other necessities. We donated a guitar as well. Khiri Reach and Riksja Online also bought 68 warm jackets in Chiang Mai and sent them by minibus to the centre. In the winter it gets very cold in the nights up here.

Meredith thanked us profusely. I pledged Khiri Reach’s continued support for the centre and said farewell with a heavy heart.

As I travelled back to Chiang Mai I found myself hoping that there is a good guitar player in the camp. He or she must teach the children to sing with joy and hope. Always hope.

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Khiri Reach will keep you updated about Meredith and life at the Child Care Centre in Mae Hong Son.

To make a donation to the centre, please click here.