All it takes is a few moments of time listening to stories of people who have fled Burma, learning about the loss and oppression they have suffered, seeing the hopelessness they have experienced in their lives, and I guarantee that your heart will never be the same. My husband and I have seen first hand the isolated condition of refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. Hundreds of thousands of people live in these camps. Some have spent the majority of their lives there.
Every year, the U.S .invites a certain number of these refugees to relocate to different cities around the U.S. When this program began decades ago, families were given nearly three years to learn English and to secure living wage jobs. Today, refugees are given 7 months. Imagine, if you can, trying to learn an entirely different language and to become fluent enough to get a job in 7 months! Good luck with that! My guess is that most of us would fail miserably. The culture shock alone of living in a new strange land would be pretty much all any of us could manage in that short amount of time.
The Coalition for Refugees from Burms is a newly formed, non-profit organization that provides support and assistance to many of these families. I, for one, am a big supporter of this organization. If you have any interest at all, take a look at their website and consider ways that you might help.
Add their button to your website to encourage others to learn about the situation in Burma and how to help the newest refugees here! Here is their link: http://www.allburmarefugees.org/contact
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