The Marist Asia Foundation is a Marist Fathers project in Thailand that works with Burmese migrants, focusing mainly on education. Australian Marist Solidarity have partnered with the Marist Fathers development office, Marist Mission Centre, and private organisation Lenity Australia, to provide significant funding to the Marist Asia Foundation to support the educational and health outcomes of Burmese migrants living in poverty on the Thai border. Below is a story of one such family and how Marist Asia Foundation’s interventions have allowed this struggling family to cope with their current situation and look towards a brighter future.
The Marist Brothers are also working in Thailand in the outskirts of Bangkok supporting those Burmese migrants who have relocated to the city. To support the work of the Marists in Thailand, visit http://bit.ly/MaristCentreForMigrants or the projects page.
Shwe Zin (right, not real name) has three siblings in her family. Her mother passed away with a health disease. Now she is 10 years old. She lives with her father, a younger sister and a brother. She is the oldest and she works hard for her family. Her father’s work is fishing. In the morning, she sells seafood that her father gets before she goes to school with her younger sister and brother. All the teachers are proud of herself because she works very hard for her family. Shwe Zin and her younger sister and brother get support from Marist Asia Foundation to attend school. Every day she comes to school late with her brother and sister because she sells fish, shrimps and other seafood in the community even though it is raining. She always helps her friends in the class and she is very interested in education. She is very good in drawing and also a good student. She works hard for her life and her family. She loves and takes care of her younger sister and brother. She works and shares money with her younger sister and brother and lives together with her family.