Lucky #13

I am 16 years old. My village was attacked by the Burma army, and we all ran for our lives into the jungle. We heard that soon, the Burma army would come to capture the men and the young boys, and that we would be forced to fight as soldiers. The people in my village pooled together their resources so that we could escape. I came to the refugee camp with my older brother, my cousin, and two of my friends.

Click to read more ...

Thailand Projects – FINAL UPDATE!

Okay, so it's not the FINAL update for this projects (because they are not finished yet), but it is the last one for our time in Thailand! I can't believe the day has come for us to head back to America. In just a few hours we will board a plane to begin the long journey home. When we arrived in Thailand in January, 100 days seemed like such a long time... but in reality it has flown by! We are so sad to leave our friends and partners here, and can't wait until our next trip to this beautiful country!

Our time here has been amazing, and thanks to your generosity we've gotten so much accomplished for our projects here. $1,500 was donated to The Refuge to build a new Boy's Dormitory (with a cement floor and tin roof - instead of the dirt floor and bamboo roof that they had) and another $1,500 was donated to support 10 new children coming out of the violence in Burma and into this Children's Home.  We also had an incredible time doing Art Therapy with these refugee children, and left them with new art supplies to use in the future. Their lives will be forever changed because of these gifts, and we are so thrilled to have played a part in it!

The Promised Land Project is now in full swing, thanks to over $8,000 that has been donated in the past 3 months. It looks completely different than when we first arrived - and our partners couldn't be more excited! Since our last blog, the money was donated to build two gates at each entrance of the land. Check out the video below for a full overview of all the changes that have happened in the past 100 days.
http://www.vimeo.com/22797469

To give specifically to The Promised Land Project, CLICK HERE.

Of course, if you'd like to donate to all of our projects in India, Swaziland, and Thailand (including The Promised Land Project and The Refuge) you can give your gift on our main donation site or by mail, and the money will be split evenly between each country we work in.

A big THANK YOU to all of you who have been a part of this project, and those of you who support The Sound of Hope through your one-time gifts and monthly pledges. We are so grateful to have you as partners in this work! We could not do it without you!

Until next time.... Suwadee Kha & Khap Khun Kha!

The Refuge

Recently, we got to visit The Refuge, a Children's Home we support in a refugee camp here in Thailand. There are 6 teenagers* in the home right now, with 10 more kids coming later this month. We were SO excited to finally meet the kids and to get a better understanding of what life is like for them.

The kids in this home are Karen, an ethnic minority from Burma that is facing genocide at the hands of the Burmese military government. These kids literally ran for their lives across the border into Thailand. During our time together we got to hear some of their stories. They have experienced things no one should ever have to go through - especially not as a child.

The thing that amazed us the most after hearing about their past, was the fact that they all want to go back to Burma. After running for their lives, experiencing the terror the SPDC (Burmese military) inflicts, they still want to go back. It doesn't matter that they are safe now.... that's not enough for them. While living in the refugee camp they want to take the opportunity to get a good education, and then they all told us that their DREAM is to go back to Burma to help "their people" (the Karen people). They want to be teachers, doctors, soldiers, and government leaders. They want to make a difference, even though it will be dangerous for them. Their courage is so inspiring! On top of being courageous, they are also kind, talented, and smart. These kids have so much potential - they just need someone to believe in them!

We count it a privilege to support these kids and to help them achieve their dreams. Every donation you give to The Sound of Hope helps give these kids a safe place to live, and an education. Tomorrow, you'll hear more of their stories.

*names are not listed for the protection of the children