Background Information

Children are the "life" of any community and how they are treated is a good way to judge a society and its values.  Any society that exploits its youth or abandons this most valuable resource is literally "discarding" its own lifeline to the future.  When one contemplates the vast number of children leaving Myanmar for a safer chance at life in Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, or India, one wonders at the lack of wisdom inherent in Burmese governmental policies.  Or, maybe it is the 'perverse' wisdom of a government that only sees a future for itself, its 400,000 man army, and those who would join or serve it.  (It seems oddly reflective of the U.S.A.'s "Blackwater" army of mercenaries -- a strange irony for the politically astute).  (Related article here)

The Federation of Trade Unions in Burma estimates there are two million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand, many of them fleeing the practice of forced labor in their own country.  (Only in the U.S.A., where we have more people imprisoned than in China, are there more people occupied in the same way).  In Mae Sot, there are more than two hundred factories, mostly garment-producing, owned by wealthy Chinese or Taiwanese, with approximately 36,000 legally registered workers. However, local labor advocates assert there are four times as many illegal workers. An ILO report from 2006 claims that factories in the Mae Sot area have perfected a system of exploitation and a recent article by Ed Cropley (June 4, 2007) describes the situation in this Thai border town as one of "Burmese workers toiling in penury." It is obvious that Burmese migrant workers in Thailand face a myriad of human rights issues although the situation is slowly changing for the better.  (Related report here) 

In this situation, the children of refugees often suffer the most.  Many are forced into child labor just to survive.  Others eke out a living by recycling trash, begging, or living on the streets as pick-pockets.  The valuable resource of young Burmese minds is presently squandered in Myanmar by a dictatorial government.  A young Burmese child, kidnapped by the military to become a child soldier, or nowadays, even a young Buddhist monk, has a bleak future, indeed.  With a little support and some basic education, the children of Burmese migrant workers could overcome the local conditions of poverty and exploitation they are beset by.

Organization's History (see About Us) (see our Newsletters)

Little Schools  was founded in September 2006 by an ex-patriate American teacher and has been supported by visiting volunteers from the U.S.A., Canada, Germany, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Australia and Japan ever since.  It began life as a shelter for Burmese homeless children who live near Mae Sot, Thailand.  As of June 2007, Little Schools has become Homesteading the Future (HTF) Home School, a family group providing basic needs support and education for the children of Burmese migrant workers as an alternative to becoming factory workers, trash collectors, or beggars.  Teaching of farming skills is ignored by most Mae Sot area schools today.  Our children are lucky in that they can attend a local Thai school that accepts Burmese as students.  Additionally, we home school our children in Burmese and English.  Soon to be added to this program will be instruction in the basics of natural farming with hands-on experience for our students in growing crops on experimental plots on our leased land.  HTF Home School is now growing into a Christian bible school and congregation.

Our Location (detailed map)

Mae Sot is a small Thai trading town on the western border with Burma. It has a mixed population of Thai, Karen, Burmese and Chinese. Bangkok and Chiang Mai can be reached within an hour by air, and bus services run regularly to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and all major cities in Thailand. Mae Sot is the closest point in Thailand to the Burmese capital Rangoon and has become a major gateway to Burma. It has recently developed into a tourist location, complete with internet cafes and budget guesthouses. Mae Sot is also opposite Burma's Karen State. The Karen are one of the ethnic groups currently embroiled in conflict with the Burmese Junta, SPDC State Peace and Development Council, in order to achieve greater autonomy.