Projects 2012

Our projects in 2012

In the last year we invested 576.132 Euro in our projects, this is 134.537 Euro less than the year before.
Schools, Training, Dormitories
Last year we supported 12 schools with approx. 2.348 students on both sides of the border, as well as 6 dormitories with 270 students. Additionally, we supported other schools with stationery or small amounts of money to overcome their funding shortages.
„Ray of Hope“ Schools in Thailand: Our 8 Ray of Hope schools are fully supported by us. We buy and distribute all school materials at the beginning of the academic year for 2.153 students and 110 teachers. We hold monthly meetings with all the school directors to solve problems and discuss common projects. This is also when the teachers’ salaries are given out, and the bills for that month are submitted and checked. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the school year 2012/2013 the budget had to be reduced, due to the fact that we were receiving less donations. Therefore, the students’ parents agreed to cover part of the transport costs. As in previous years, all students and teachers received ID cards with pictures, to protect them from arrest and deportation.
During the May school break we organized a training for our school bus drivers, to improve the safety of the children.

In August Nay Chilin, our school projects assistant, started to work with us. The amount of work connected with this project made it necessary to take on a new employee.
Schools in the Burmese border area (Special Area):
At the end of the year we were supporting 3 schools with 5 teachers and 125 students. In September the Hser Poe Hta school was closed, since the village was only temporary. The people living there returned home, because since the situation had become more stable. We continue to support the Pah Bu Hla Hta and Kaw Poe Khee schools, as well as the Pah Bu Hla Hta kindergarten.
Dormitories: Our 6 dormitories are financed completely, including food (either from our kitchen or in the form of food supplies, in case the delivery is too expensive). One dormitory is in Mae La Refugee Camp, one on the order in Umphang and four others form part of our Rays of Hope schools.
In cooperation with Save the Children UK we organize trainings for dormitory care takers, to improve the situation in the dormitories and especially the assistance of the students, most of them traumatized and in need of skilled care takers.
Description Nr. Students Teachers
„Ray of Hope“ Schools Mae Sot 8 2.153 110
Schools along the border (Special) 4 195 9
Schools total 12 2.348 119
Dormitories 6 270
Some of our schools, dormitories and Rays of Youth are being financed, sometimes since many years, by many single donors and the following project adopters: ACS Data Systems AG, Augschöll Johann, Camping Seiser Alm, Capito Caroline, Olivia Guevara, Hope 4 the World, Youth Symphonic Orchestra South Tyrol, Kerschbaumer Zeno, Kunstdünger GmbH, Eine Weltgruppe Lajen, Nonna Gabriella, Nordwal AG, Axel & Sabine Senftleben, Technologische Fachoberschule Fallmerayer, Bäckerei Trocker, Wendelgard Lageder Projekt, Wolf Fenster AG.

Trainings and events: As in previous years, we also offered different training courses and workshops this year. We took part in different celebrations like World Childrens Day or Womens Day.
In February Eva Benelli did pottery with our Rays of Youth.
In the meantime the Rays of Youth team took over the organization of a lot of the training events. More information can be found under the Rays of Youth section.
Rays of Youth: There are four young people in the team. Unfortunately, Eh Mwe and Pher Chay left us due to personal reasons. Pawk Htun joined us instead. The two main projects are the training of the ‘Peer Youth’ and the music training. The team also conducted various workshops. In the meantime the Rays of Youth team has become well known for their work also outside the borders of Mae Sot.
The building of the new Rays of Youth centre began in June and was completed in January 2013. Apart from a meeting room, the building has enough space for playing music, learning and also sleeping. We would like to thank Stiftung Swiss Seaside, Mr. Reinhard Plank, the Region Trentino-Südtirol and the Stiftung Südtiroler Sparkasse for financing the building.

Last year the following activities took place:
The production of the film “The Way” and the documentary ‘Borderless Education’
English and computer summer courses for the peer youth
Summer course for the music students, as well as music training at the Children Home dormitory in Umphang
The production of the music video for the song ”Daily Life” in English, Burmese and Karen
Participation of the peer youth at the Media@Young Festival in Bangkok, as the only non-Thai participants
Participation in 1st May parade and the Day against Human Trafficking
Visit from Phillip and Michele Cook from IICRD, Canada
The Peer Youth organized the whole programme for our Staff of the Year 2012 event Various workshops on using plasticine models to make your own films at all our Ray of Hope schools, as well as shadow puppet shows in preparation for the Rays of Youth Media Festival
Peer Leadership Training on communication, organization, socialwork, management, camping trip and community development
Development of natural cleansing products and their sale to generate income
Workshop for dormitory caretakers together with Save the Children UK
Participation in workshops organized by MTV EXIT in Jakarta, Indonesia
Organization of Rays of Youth Media Festival in November with 400 guests

In 2012 we invested 184.786 Euro or 32,1% of the total expenses in schools and education projects.
Health and medical projects
Prosthetic department Mae Tao Clinic: We have been supporting this project with contributions of the “Land Südtirol –Amt für Kabinettsangelegenheiten” since 2003. We are paying for all the materials to make prosthesis, as well as dressings, disinfectants, anaesthetics, part of the medicine and instruments, etc.
Last year 289 amputees, mainly mine victims, received a new prosthesis.
Acupuncture department Mae Tao Clinic: Since 2011 we also support the Acupuncture department, which was established by the German Doctor Ulrich Hühne at the end of 2011.
In 2012 a total of 4.417 patients were treated. The achievements of the acupuncture team got around quickly. The successes in the treatment of sciatica, migraine, paralysis after strokes, Parkinsons and the reduction of medicine usage with chronic illnesses are sensational.
Kathi Zeschg Clinic: This clinic is still offering only basic services and only a limited number of patients can be taken in, due to the difficult situation. In 2012 the clinic took care of 6.398 patients, 2.525 of those were under the age of five. We buy and deliver all supplies directly.
We would like to thank the Family Zeschg, their friends and relatives for their long time support in remembrance of their daughter Kathi.

In 2012 we invested 37.511 Euro or 6,5% of our overall expenses in our medical projects.
Community and income generation
„The Happy Tailor“ – Sewing Workshop: Most of the work of our sewing workshop was taken up by making school uniforms, even though they received more and more external orders.
In 2012 the sewing workshop produced a total of 10.824 pieces of clothing, amongst them 2.264 free uniform sets for our Rays of Hope schools. The Happy Tailor also took on external work from other organizations or small fashion firms and managed an income of 6.250 Euros, which will go back into the project.
The economic crisis also affected our sewing workshop, and we decided not to hire any new employees or replace any who have left. At the end of the year we had 5 people employed in the sewing workshop.
At the end of the year the kitchen and sewing workshop moved into their new building.
We thank the Maro Foundation for their support.
In 2012 we spent 16.531 Euro or 2,9% of the total expenses in our programme for community and income generation.
Food and Agriculture
yummy! – meals for schools: 2012 was a difficult year for the Yummy!- meals for schools project. Due to a lack of finances we had to completely stop the Fruit and milk programme in March and also reduce the number of meals delivered to schools. In 2011 we started to ask for 2 cents per meal from the parents who could afford it. In 2012 this sum was increased to 5 cents.
At the end of the year we had provided up to 668.016 (2011: 989.813) healthy and varied meals to 12 schools and 7 dormitories in the greater Mae Sot area.
Despite a reduction in donations and an increase in the price of food products, we managed to keep the cost of one meal at 30 cents (including all costs and the delivery).
Our kitchen catered for 21.682 meals from external orders, which was around 3.000 more than the year before. For our Rays of Youth Media Festival in November the team cooked for 400 guests.
Last year we started looking for a new building for our kitchen. It was necessary to move, since we were receiving complaints from local residents about the noise and smell from the kitchen. In the end we found a building, which after renovation was suitable for both the kitchen and sewing workshop. And at the start of 2013 we could finally move there.
Programme „Fruit and Milk“: From January to March we delivered a total of 32.082 portions of Fruit and Milk. Due to the reduction in donations we were forced to discontinue this project after the end of the school year. We could not finance this project in the 2012/2013 school year, since we had to ensure we had the finances to cover the daily meals instead.
Emergency: In February there was a fire at Umphiem refugee camp, 80 kms south of Mae Sot. More than 1.000 homes were ruined, and over 4.000 people left without a roof over their head. 566 houses were completely destroyed, a further 515 houses needed a new roof. We reacted quickly and together with Save the Children UK and Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees, provided the people with basic necessities.
In the same month there was a fire South of Mae Sot, at KM44, this time from a cooking area that was not attended to. Some of our KM42 students were also affected. In only 45 minutes the whole village burned down and left 31 families homeless. Together with the Spanish organization ‘Colabora Birmania’ and SPARK Circus we could give the people necessary supplies and help them rebuild their homes.
We would like to thank, besides all the single donors, especially the following project adopters and donors for the financial support to this project, often over many years: Amt für humanitäre Hilfe (Region Trentino South Tyrol), Bischöfliches Ordinariat (Missio-Sternsinger) , Amt für Kabinettsangelegenheiten (Land South Tyrol), Maro Foundation and Costanza Merzagora-Piatti.
In 2012 we invested 186.555 Euro or 32,4% of our total expenses in our food and agriculture projects.
Project Assistance and Social centre
All projects are taken care of by our team in Mae Sot. The staff there are in contact with all the other Help without Frontiers country branches, as well as with local government and non-government organizations.
All materials for schools, dormitories, prosthetic department, kitchen, sewing workshop etc. have to be bought, allocated and delivered.
Student and emergency medical transport have to be organized, as well as the delivery of all materials, meals, fruit and milk. The projects are being visited regularly, monitored and analyzed.
From the start of 2013 we have the Rays of Youth centre next to our office and so there is more space for meetings and various events.
In 2012 we invested 150.045 Euro of the total expense in our project assistance, from which 79.450 Euros for the building of the new youth centre, for the renovation of the new kitchen and the purchase of a vehicle. The net expense for project assistance in 2012 came to 70.595 Euro or 12,3%.

Projects 2012

Donations and contributions for projects 2012

All donations and contributions are invested in our projects. The administration costs are covered separately (see point 7).
Description
Rounded figures
2010 2011 2012 % Ver. 11/12
Total donations 507.137 446.642 463.440 +3,8
Public contribution - Provincia Autonoma di Bozen (Südtirol) 69.195 30.700 27.148 -11,6
Public contribution – District Government TN-AA 80.000 95.000 70.000 -26,38
Contributions others 75.151 8.490 129.145 --
Bank interests – net 2.659 2.019 5.622 +278,5
Total 734.142 582.851 696.355 +19,3
In 2012 we received 463.440 Euro donations for projects, which equals an increase of 3,8% compared to 2011. Until August 2012 it looked as if we would be forced to stop most of our projects at the end of the year.
The Provincia Autonoma di Bozen (Südtirol) agreed on a budget of 27.148 Euro to fund the prosthetic and surgical department at the Mae Tao Clinic again.
The Regione Trentino Südtirol committed to a reduced contribution of 50.000 Euro for the purchase of food for our “yummy! meals for schools” programme, as well as an extra 20.000 Euro for the building of our Rays of Youth youth centre.
In the category - other income - is 35.000 Euro from Stiftung Maro for our food programme and sewing workshop. Also included here are contributions for the building of our Rays of Youth youth centre - more than 50.000 Euro from Stiftung Swiss Seaside, 35.645 Euro from Reinhard Plank through the King Baudoin US Foundation and 8.500 Euro from the Südtiroler Sparkasse Foundation.
2012 we have been able to transfer 250.000 Euro to a savings account and increase our interests.