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    A New Chapter

    Our Work: 

    Thailand

    For years, Thailand has been a haven for populations on the move, from the two million migrants who travel through the country to work to the thousands of refugees from Myanmar living in camps along the border. And Thailand has meant a lot to us over the years - it's where our story began 40 years ago. Now, as refugees return home to Myanmar, a chapter is closing on our working for these people - but a new one has just begun.

    It is our job to prepare communities for this transition, helping to build the confidence needed to make a safe, peaceful, and successful move back home. From helping women heal from abuse and trauma, to vocational and skills building for budding entrepreneurs, to making sure people get the healthcare access they need, all our programs have an eye toward the next chapter in their lives.

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    Building self-reliance and positive action

    We’re helping refugees apply the hard work and dedication they bring to their lives in the camps toward their future outside the camps, encouraging them to think about their next steps and transition plan.

    Economic empowerment is a key factor in developing self-reliance. Our micro-enterprise development (MED) program helps participants develop skills they can use when they leave the camps. Refugees have the opportunity to practice their newly learned skills through Voluntary Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) and small start-up businesses. With the goal of building independence by focusing on an attitude of positive action and self-help, we are fostering an environment of preparation.

    Health

    Together with our program team in Myanmar, we’re focused on eliminating drug-resistant malaria. We work with migrants who regularly traverse the Myanmar/Thailand border, providing them with insecticide treated mosquito nets, prevention education, and diagnosis and treatment services.

    When the work is done, the task accomplished … our smiles reflect a staff saying … ‘we have done it ourselves’!

    – Sudan Nduati, Micro-enterprise Development Coordinator
     

    Thailand: Recent Info

    A World Without Malaria

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    The Disease’s Days Are Numbered in Southeast Asia, and Alight Teams Are Leading the Way

    What does it take to rid a country, region, or the world from a particularly perilous disease? Read More

    Stopping the Spread of Coronavirus in Southeast Asia

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    Teams coming together on both sides of the Thai-Myanmar border...

    Our work in Thailand and Myanmar is defined by support to people on the move between the two countries. More than two million migrants travel back and forth between them regularly, looking for work and better ways to support their families. And thousands of refugees from Myanmar are still living in camps in Thailand, mostly along the border, although many have returned home and adjust to new lives there. Thailand is where Alight’s story began 40 years ago. Now, our work has evolved to support the new challenges people are facing in the region – and it’s still evolving as teams mobilize to confront the threat of COVID-19. Read More

    2016 Changemakers Competition

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    ARC Staff Making Change

    On World Refugee Day, we launched our fourth annual Changemakers Award Competition. Changemakers is an ideas competition for our 1,600 staff around the world. We ask everyone one simple question and provide the platform for their ideas to pour in. (more…)

    ARC Gets 4 Stars

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    Four Stars, Five Years Running

    For the fifth year in a row, American Refugee Committee has attained the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency! The 4-star rating is the highest possible rating – only 6% of the organizations evaluated by Charity Navigator, (more…)

    Conversations on World Refugee Day

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    ARC Team Shares What They've Heard From Refugees

    In honor of World Refugee Day, we shared conversations we had with four of our team members who traveled across the globe to speak to refugees who are living in the reality of the Global Refugee Crisis. Read More
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