The sheer number of people who cross the border from Burma to Thailand sheds light on the situation. The economic opportunities are so slim within Burma that people are willing to accept or are forced into difficult or low-paying working conditions. For many, however, it is at least an improvement from being jobless in Burma. As simple as people desire their lives to be, their lives are complicated by larger forces like the disparities between the two countries, minority oppression, and lack of health care access, education, and employment skills.
The work offered for Burmese is mostly labor-intensive factory work. In the border area, a lot of Burmese cross the border for the day to work, and return home at the end of the day. Some young women turn to sex work, without knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases or other consequences. With Pattanarak, I witnessed a grassroots approach in aiding the community. When speaking with some sex workers about the use of condoms, they informed them of various possible effects of unprotected sex in a two-way conversation. Educating and promoting a healthier lifestyle is most effective when it’s made on a personal level.
The organization was founded in 2000 in order to aid the ever-growing numbers of displaced people who were not eligible to receive aid from governmental organizations. Pattanarak’s work is not boastful- they seek to create change from within community and I believe that is the best approach to making long-term changes.
