Since many years, Help without Frontiers partners with Save the Children Thailand to ensure marginalised children and youth access education and better life opportunities. The Reaching Education for all Children in Thailand (REACT) project aims at supporting students, caregivers, and teachers in Migrant Learning Centres in order to ensure that migrant children in Thailand have access to quality education and communities support children's learning. The project activities are also aimed at helping students to enrol in Thai government schools, providing school uniforms and transportation, as well as they seek to raise awareness among caregivers and parents on the importance of education and yet advocate for the rights of non-thai citizens in Thailand.
In school year 2018-2019, through the REACT project, 548 students have been successfully enrolled into 13 schools. The majority of the migrant children were enrolled into 11 Thai government schools. About 70 students were enrolled into a Myanmar public school. Those students live in Mae Tao Ta Lae, the last thai district close to the river that separates Thailand from Myanmar. Children have to leave their homes very early in the morning to get to school on time. After half an hour trip by bicycle, students have to get on a small and unstable boat to cross the river and reach the school on the other side. During several visits to that community, the staff of Help without Frontiers met with the parents and caretakers of the students. At these occasions, the parents expressed concerns on the safety of the children as, during the rainy season, the currents in the river are particularly challenging. In order to improve their security, 70 students in Mae Tao Ta Lae were supported with life jackets and an instructive training was organised to explain them how to wear it properly.
Parents and caretakers are reassured as the security of their children has improved. The REACT staff is organising some swimming lessons and other trainings to further ensure students reach school safely.
