Central Thailand endured heavier than expected monsoonal rain in September and October 2011.  The Northern part of the country endured constant rain to the point that damn gates were opened. The swollen rivers from the mountainous northern provinces flowed into the plains of the central provinces, and due to the water levels, the central damn flood gates were opened as well, flooding 201 districts in 28 provinces. In some places the flood waters were at chest high level. 2.6 million people were impacted, many had to flee their homes and water damaged more than 1.2 million Hectares of farmland. The human toll due to the flooding topped 600 dead on November 20, 2011. The hardest hit provinces were those low lying areas in the central Chao Phraya flood plain where 5 major rivers converge and included the districts of Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi. Bangkok also saw record flooding, including the central and business area of the city.

Early in 2011, Na Aye Yin, her husband Kyite Yee, and her two children fled from her home country to Unpiem Mai refugee camp in Tak, Thailand because of threats to their personal security. They were newcomers, and were not on the list to receive free food as part of a national program the Thai government provides in refugee camp. All they could do was work for other refugees, using the meager wage they earned to feed their two children.

In March, Na Aye Yin heard that there would be a project called ‘Vocational Training for Refugees from Myanmar’ (VTRM) that would begin teaching people in the camp vocational skills. Courses such as sewing, embroidery, welding, elderly and child care, basic auto mechanics, cooking and baking and hair dressing would be offered.

We recently spoke to “Giraffe”, a 17 year old student at Eden valley Academy (EVA) Mae Lah refugee camp where ADRA Thailand administers the KREP program which encompasses the EVA school. She is an easy going student who isn’t timid but quite forthcoming. Here is some of what she told us about her life:

“My mother, brother and I came to Thailand 5 years ago when I was 12 years old. My father had left us. I thought he had run off and I would never see him again. I didn’t know until later, that the police were looking for my father. He was ac-cused of spying and since he could not be found, the officers began staking out our home, waiting to see if he would return. Then four months after he had gone, the secret police came and questioned our mother concerning our father’s whereabouts while I was in school. I came home from school to find my mother packing. She told me we were going on a trip. I thought we were just going to another place locally; maybe to visit relatives. My brother was only 6 years old at the time so I didn’t think we would travel such a great distance.

Beauthong and Wilaiphon were born in Huay Chom Poo village in Chiang Rai prov-ince, Northern Thailand. The girls were born to a Lahu hill tribe family. They have a lot in common. Their ages are the same, their parents are poor famers and they both belong to big families. But the most important thing they’ve shared is they both did not have Thai citizenship.