Children’s Clothing: $2
TBC has received and distributed donations of used clothing to refugees along the border for more than a decade. While regular donations come from around the world, the supply usually lacks adequate clothing for small children, particularly those 5 years and younger. TBC buys clothes for each child under five years of age and is also looking to provide clothes for children between the ages of five and 12, who are also poorly provided by the used clothing donations. Children’s clothes are presently purchased in the local markets but in the future it is hoped to address these needs by making them in income-generating projects run by refugees. This is part of TBC’s new strategy to help refugees develop livelihoods and become more self-reliant.

TBC’s goal is to provide at least one set of clothing for each child under five, and to augment the clothing supply for children from five to 12 years of age. At a cost of only $2 per child, your annual donation can ensure that a refugee child has adequate clothing and protection from the elements.

Fuel and Cooking Stoves: $150
Cooking fuel is essential for daily life in a refugee camp. Since the refugees are not allowed to gather their own firewood from the surrounding areas, all fuel has to be purchased and TBC delivers charcoal to each camp.

Charcoal is currently the only available option for cooking fuel in the camps but it is expensive as it must be purchased from sustainable sources. TBC therefore seeks not only to meet fuel needs, but to find creative solutions to increase fuel efficiency and reduce demand. Extensive experiments and tests have been carried out on different types of charcoal to determine the most efficient types and, as a result, charcoal sawdust logs and bamboo charcoal have been chosen. In one camp, refugees have learned to utilize rice husk ash and off-cut bamboo ash to produce their own charcoal logs.

Traditionally, refugees from Burma have used the “three stones” method to cook. TBC provides “bucket stoves” that use 30% less fuel than the traditional method, ensuring that charcoal rations last longer.

The benefits of the bucket stoves go beyond fuel efficiency alone. The stoves produce less toxic fumes than the traditional cooking method. This translates into fewer respiratory problems and reduced impact on the environment.

TBC’s goal is to provide an annual supply of charcoal plus one bucket stove per household. Your annual gift can help make this a reality, for only $150.

New Arrivals Kit: $44
When new refugees arrive in the camps they come only with the clothes on their backs and what they can carry. These people are provided with the basic necessities they need to start their lives in the refugee camps. Blankets, mosquito nets and sleeping mats provide much more than increased comfort and warmth for refugees; these items are critical to reducing the incidences of malaria and respiratory disease, which are common in the camp environment. Blankets provide warmth in the camps which can be surprisingly cold during the cool season, and sleeping mats are essential to prevent mosquitoes from entering the sleeping space through bamboo floors even when mosquito nets are in use. Pots and pans and other essential cooking items are provided, plus food containers. Food containers can make a real difference to the health of refugees living in the camps along the Thailand-Burma border. Simple containers help to ensure food safety, protecting staples such as AsiaMIX and oil from pests, humidity and contaminants. And, because they can be re-used countless times, food containers reduce the amount of rubbish produced in the camps.

TBC aims to provide this basic New Arrivals Kit to all new arrivals. Your annual gift of $44 can help to provide a newly arrived average size family with their essential needs to start life in the refugee camps.

Longyi-Weaving Project Support: $1,000 per loom; $3 per longyi
Traditionally, Karen and Karenni men and women wear wrap-around garments known as longyis. TBC has provided support since 2002 for the Karen and Karenni Women’s Organisations’ longyi-weaving projects. With over 70 looms in camps along the border, the projects yield more than 50,000 longyis annually.

The longyi-weaving project does more than provide clothing and potential to generate income; it also passes traditional skills on to the younger generation and gives the Karen and Karenni Women’s Organisations an opportunity to develop their project management skills.

To carry out the longyi-weaving project, the Karen and Karenni Women’s Organisations need looms and funding to purchase all the materials such as wool, thread and dyes. A traditional loom is made of teak wood and costs approximately $1,000 per unit.

Your annual gift of $3 will meet the weaving costs of one longyi, building the management capacity of women, providing clothing, income and a means of preserving traditional cultural dress.

Read more about The Border Consortium’s Non-food Items Assistance.