Karen Women’s Organization

KWO 2013 Organization Update

Message f o KWO’s Chai pe so , Na Dah Eh Kle

The past year has been historic for the Kare Wo e ’s Orga izatio KWO a d the e tire Kare o u ity. We have continued to manage projects under our four programs: heath, education, social welfare, and organizing

and information sharing, while addressing urgent advocacy and protection issues that arose throughout the year.

KWO has achieved many successes in 2013 and directly benefited the lives of thousands of Karen women. We

have also faced many challenges over the past year, one of the main challenges has been maintaining community

ownership as the situation on the border and inside Burma changes quickly. Despite these challenges, in 2013

KWO rolled out our Creating Peace Project, aimed at empowering women leaders and decision-makers and

keeping the community informed about the peace negotiations, ceasefire talks, and refugee return planning. The

political climate is changing in Burma, as a result, we see the international community focusing more of their aid

efforts in Karen State. It is up to KWO and other Karen Community Based Organizations to facilitate community

ownership and promote existing leadership structures. We see many development projects being proposed and

implemented in Karen State, as a community, it is our priority to advocate for the lives of the villagers affected by

these projects, especially as the future of Karen State will be directly impacted by outside development. It is our

hope that the ceasefire negotiations, refugee return preparedness and development inside Karen State will

progress with the full involvement of our people in order to achieve genuine community participation for a better

future of the Karen people, ethnic groups, and all of Burma.

In January 2013, KWO held a successful Congress, where we elected a new Executive Committee bringing a new energy

and focus to the work of KWO.

Through networking, we have built strong ties to women groups inside Burma. In 2013 KWO representatives attended

the fi st e e o e ’s se i a i Bu a, o ga ized y the Wo e ’s League of Bu a. KWO’s Creati g Pea e Proje t ega i . The Creati g Pea e Proje t works to trai wo e i side Kare “tate a d refugee camps on the current peace process, issues related to refugee return, and supports advocacy for the voices of

Karen women: internationally, to UNHCR and other international agencies, and to the Burmese and Thai governments.

The Automatic Response Mechanism (ARM) Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for SGBV cases in the seven Karen

refugee camps on the Thailand/Burma border was finalized and printed.

KWO was asked to meet with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma. We spoke to him about the issues being

raised by our members in Burma and our views regarding the refugee situation and peace process.

Staff and position holders attended and actively participated in meetings about education, environment, policy, peace,

refugee return, youth, and other issues impacting the lives of Karen people.

2013: KWO’s Successes

KWO’s Edu atio P og a ai s to e su e that all se to s of the o u ity a e gi e e ual a ess to edu atio , a d addresses the needs primarily of women and girls, many of whom have not been able to access formal education

before. This provides them with opportunities for development and empowerment, leading to greater participation

in the decision-making and leadership areas of our community.

Nursery School Beneficiaries: Mae Ra Moe

and Mae La Oon

Camp Schools Children Teachers

Mae Ra Moe 11 1,496 108

Mae La Oon 7 797 43

Total 18 2,293 151

Nursery School Beneficiaries: Karen State

District Schools Children Teachers

Mu Traw 20 873 46

Kler Lwee Htu 17 521 40

Do Pla Ya 31 1,514 89

Do Tha Htu 14 590 37

Ee Htu IDP Camp 4 315 17

Total 86 3,813 229

Dormitory Beneficiaries

Location Dormitories Students Carers

Mae La 1 73 2

Umphiem 1 57 2

Noe Poe 1 65 2

Mae La Oon 1 40 2

Mae Ra Moe 5 191 10

Doo Tha Htu 1 37 2

Mutraw 1 68 2

Total 11 531 22

"I am very happy to live in the dormitory because the dormitory is very helpful to me with my studies and schooling. The dormitory helps me get an education and also get social experience with my peers. I want to say thank you to the dormitory leaders, KWO staff, and the donors of my dormitory. When I finish my post-secondary education I would like to work for the dormitory project. If I become a rich person, I will build a dormitory to help my Karen people. Thank you very much!" -- Dormitory Student

Nursery School Project

KWO’s Education Program

Dormitory Project

KYWLS 2013

24 KYWLS

Students from 3

refugee camps

and 6 districts

inside Karen State,

Burma.

4 core teachers

and 2 part-time

teachers.

463 children with

disabilities were

supported during the

2013 project year.

Produced Karen

Sign Language

DVDs, volumes 1-8

and distributed

throughout the

community.

SE Project Successes: One mother in Mae La Oo camp, who has 2 children with serious Cerebral Palsy, got involved more this year with various activities.

We observe she is taking care of her children with more patience and gets involved in the Play Sessions. Another parent in Htam Hin

who has one child with brittle bone disease has also been much more active this year. She is more patient with her child and the

child is cleaner. This mother herself has brittle bone, the same as her child. They shared their experiences with the other parents

during Parents Education Workshops, which allowed a stronger feeling of solidarity to grow and for the parents to learn from each

other.

Special Education Project

Karen Young Women’s Leadership School (KYWLS)

“o e of the graduate stude ts a e a k a d work with KWO or to the a p a d show their apa ity of worki g with community. They are outstanding and very confident to speak in front of people. They are also very enthusiastic to work

for their people.

- Tharamu Hsa Gay, Vice Camp Chairwoman Mae Ra Moe Camp

Displaced women in conflict areas in Karen State are fleeing from violence around their homes, and cannot return.

Cut off from the towns, they have little to no access to health care. Within Karen State, KWO provides some health

care and material assistance to pregnant women and new mothers, supplying basic hygiene kits, birthing support,

and health education to women and the community.

Ut Sed Est

KWO’s Health Program

I , KWO’s Ba y Kit P oje t distributed 5,384 kits to mothers

and their newborn babies.

Project staff delivered 6,000 health

message leaflets, in Karen and

Burmese, to 8 regions in Karen State.

I a ot i good health a d it is e y diffi ult fo e to suppo t y fa ily. Whe I got the Ba y Kit, I felt u h joy e ause I as a le to p o ide fo y fa ily a d keep y a y healthy. – Baby Kit recipient

Baby Kits Project

Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) Project

In 2013, KWO supported 94 TBAs in

Mae Ra Moe and Mae La Oon camps.

The 94 TBAs assisted with over 750 births in 2013.

Over 2,300 women participated in 13 health awareness sessions in the 2 camps in 2013. During

these sessio s, they e ei ed i fo atio a out o e ’s health, fa ily pla i g, p eg a y elated issues, and overall community health.

KWO provides direct assistance to community members and works towards solving social problems in the

community. Refugees and IDPs, continue to face difficult social problems that exist in many communities such as

sexual and gender based violence, unemployment, extreme poverty, caring for the elderly, the disabled, separated

children, families in trouble, support to widows, and dealing with increases in youth violence.

KWO’s Social Welfare Program

Safe House Project

In 2013, the Safe House Project supported 515 women and children staying in the safe houses or in their own homes,

in 7 camps. The project provided women and children protection, physical assistance, emotional assistance, case

management, SGBV related awareness, and access to out-of-camp services.

as the fi st yea KWO’s “afe House P oje t a the 6 Days of A ti is a paig i side Ka e “tate. A total of 12,952 community members participated in the campaign in 5 districts and 7 camps.

I did ot k o that the ay y hus a d t eated e as “GBV, I thought it as o al. Afte I e t to the I -Camp

Safe House Support Network Workshop, I learned that I was suffering from domestic violence. Now I know that I can

ad o ate fo y ights a d ho to espo d to y hus a d he he physi ally atta ks e.

-- Workshop participant

420 representatives of CBOs, Safe House staff, camp security, and Safe House Committee members participated in the

In-Camp Safe House Support Network Workshops. These workshops are the main forum for KWO to inform and

educate community leaders around the prevention and response to SGBV. We share new policies, explain procedures,

and raise awareness on SGBV issues.

As part of its community organizing function, KWO works to mobilize and empower the Karen community from

within. We run activities in order to develop the capacity, particularly of women and girls: to participate in decision-

aki g p o esses, to o k i the o u ity, to pa ti ipate i KWO’s a ti ities, a d to i ple e t KWO’s o k a d projects. In Karen State, KWO workers document and record information related to human rights abuses

committed against members of their communities.

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KWO’s Organizing and Information Sharing Program

Capacity Building Project

30 women from 7 camps and 7

districts inside Karen State,

Burma participated in the

Capacity Building Training of

Trainers (TOT).

177 community members

participated in the in-field

capacity building training,

conducted by our trainers.

13 women from inside Karen

State, Burma received financial

management training.

8 new KWO central staff

received financial training.

Camp Support Project

KWO’s Ca p “uppo t P oje t p o ided 349 women working in KWO positions and community management

in the 7 refugee camps, with monthly stipends and with administration funds for 10 KWO camp-based

administrative offices.

I , KWO’s Ca p “uppo t P oje t ga e t ai i g to the p oje t’s e efi ia ies o : KWO’s Code of Co du t, KWO’s Child P ote tio Poli y, a d fi a ial a age e t.

The stipe d I e ei e f o KWO’s Ca p “uppo t P oje t is of g eat e efit to y fa ily a d e. I a a le to pay y hild e ’s s hool fees, uy ut itious food, a d suppo t y o u ity. – Camp Support Project Beneficiary

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Documentation and Publication

Organizing Trips

Pa ti ipa ts lea ed o e a out KWO’s a ti ities a d u e t issues i pa ti g efugee etu a d the pea e p o ess, and KWO also collected community opinions and concerns.

During 2013, KWO conducted 12 Organizing Trips, to 7 camps and 5 districts, with over 5,000

community participants.

Creating Peace Project

2,100 pamphlets about the peace process and related issues

have been distributed to community members.

26 women leaders have received training in

politics and peace issues.

Developed and distributed a Briefing Paper for community

members about KNU and Burmese government informal

negotiations.

6,500 community members participated in the 2013 World Refugee Day!

KWO finalized and printed the Automatic Response Mechanism (ARM) to SGBV cases in

the 7 Karen Camps.

295 community members joined community

consultations in Karen State and on the border.

3 Karen language magazines

KWO Constitution

2011/12 KWO Report

Project Pamphlets

KWO Calendar

Teaching Guidelines

I , KWO’s Do u e tatio a d Pu li atio tea p odu ed a ide a iety of ate ials i ludi g:

KWO Budget 2013

KWO Mae Sot PO BOX 60

Mae Sot

Tak Province

63110 Thailand

Tel: 085-268-7542

E-mail:

kwomaesot@gmail.com

KWO Central PO BOX 19

Mae Sariang

Mae Hon Song Province

58110 Thailand

Tel: (66) 053-681-084

Fax: (66) 053-621-410

E-mail:

kwocentral@gmail.com