OUR STORY
Social Action for Chidlren & Women was founded on June 25, 2000 to assist displaced women from Myanmar who fled to Mae Sot. Originally providing shelter, health education, rights awareness, counseling, and vocational training, SAW has expanded its focus to include caring for and educating orphaned and migrant children. Today, our work focuses on three main areas: health, education, and protection.
Founding Social Action for Children & Women
SAW was founded on June 25, 2000 to assist displaced women from Myanmar who had fled to Mae Sot. Originally providing shelter, health education, rights awareness, counseling, and vocational training, SAW has expanded its focus to include caring for and educating orphaned and migrant children. SAW’s work focuses on three main areas: protection, education, and awareness.
In 2008, SAW was one of 25 organizations to receive the Red Ribbon Award from the United Nations Development Programme for providing outstanding HIV prevention, treatment, and education on a grassroots level. Daw Aye Aye Mar, the founder and Director of SAW, was honored by the Royal Family of Thailand with the “Prachabdi Award” for Human Rights and Humanitarian efforts on December 9, 2016.
SAW gained legal status as a Thai foundation on May 9, 2017. SAW Foundation has four board members and five advisory board members. The first board meeting was held on July 1, 2017.
SAW'S ACHIEVEMENTS
RED RIBBON AWARD RECIPIENT
In 2008, SAW was one of 25 organizations awarded by the United Nations Development Programme for providing outstanding HIV prevention, treatment, & education on a grassroots level.
PRACHABDI AWARD RECIPIENT
Daw Aye Aye Mar, the founder & Director of SAW, was honored by the Royal Family of Thailand with the “Prachabdi Award” for Human Rights and Humanitarian efforts on December 9, 2016
SAW IS A LEGAL FOUNDATION
SAW gained legal status as a Thai foundation on May 9, 2017. SAW Foundation has four board members and five advisory board members. The first board meeting was held on July 1, 2017.
ABOUT THE BURMESE MIGRANT CRISIS
Large numbers of Burmese refugees began arriving in Thailand in the mid 1980s, fleeing protracted inter-ethnic group violence and a repressive military government in their native Myanmar. There are now nearly 100,000 refugees living in a series of nine camps on the Thai-Myanmar border, and nearly 2 million Myanmar nationals are counted as living in Thailand. While exact numbers are hard to come by, hundreds of thousands of those migrants live in and around the border city of Mae Sot, Thailand.
The life of a migrant is filled with adversity. In Myanmar, they face a lack of economic opportunity, abusive military control, and corporate and government land-grabs. Once in Thailand, hostile work environments, wages often below the legal minimum, and a precarious immigration status are the norm. Vulnerable women and children face the threat of sexual assault or human trafficking. For migrant children, educational opportunities are curtailed by lack of legal status and their parents’ desire for them to contribute to the household. Amidst these difficulties, a strong network of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) has been established to serve migrants. Social Action for Children and Women (SAW) is a leading member of that network.
On February 1st, 2021, the military seized power of Myanmar in a coup d’etat. This was a result of the November 8th, 2020 elections when the democratic civilian party won 83% of the votes, resulting in Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi as the head of the government. The military, unable to accept the results, decided to forcibly detain all democratic leaders, which plunged the nation into uncertainty. Protests immediately sparked across the nation, and in a matter of time, they started to turn deadly, with March 27th being the deadliest day (600+ people killed or assaulted). Women and children were not spared; as of May 23rd, 2021, 818 people in total have been killed, including 44 children. The current unrest in Myanmar will only exacerbate the migrant crisis on the Thai-Myanmar border and may result in a larger population of migrants in Thailand in future months.
