Burma Solar Clinics and medical relief2008 Expansion of the Burma relief project - This project needs your help for funding.
In 2008, with the same partners as in 2007, we are planning to support the Free Burma Rangers (FBR), a multiethnic organization which trains 43 backpack relief teams to assist IDPs in the whole Eastern Burma. The teams receive training in public health, first aid, medical and dental care, as well as leadership, conflict resolution, human rights reporting, counseling, wilderness survival, and solar power use. Teams also learn to teach nutrition, sanitation, food preparation and personal hygiene. Green Empowerment is raising funds to provide solar power to the FBR training center.
Since 2003: Karen Solar Clinic Project
In April 2007, Green Empowerment, in partnership with the Border Green Energy Team, the Karen Medical Welfare Department, TOPS and other organizations, trained indigenous Karen villagers, refugees and medics on practical solar power skills. The trained medics carried solar power equipment back from the training to their remote clinics deep within Burma. This training builds upon similar trainings held in 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003--bringing the total number of clinics with solar power systems to 35. Each clinic serves 3,000-5,000 people and will have a major impact on the quality of health care that can be provided at these remote bamboo clinics. With the solar power, they can have light for operations, electricity for computers (which they use to search CD-ROMs of medical informaiton), battery chargers and medical devices. Each year, new and experienced medics from all 35 clinics come to a central training refresh session where they can lear and compare their experience, and receive replacement and repair equipment. There is plenty of turn over and demands on the equipment in this conflict zone. On-going funding is needed for this yearly activity. See the full Dec 2007 clinic report (pdf) here Solar Hospitals Project In December 2007, Green Empowerment, in partnership with the Border Green Energy Team, Solar Energy Power International, the Karen Medical Welfare Department, and other organizations, installed larger solar power systems in two IDP (Internally Displaced People) hospitals. These facilities have numerous beds for longer term patients, serve as referral clinics for the smaller clinics around the region. They offer vaccination thanks to solar refrigerators, more medical tests and treatments, and cataract surgery. See the final report on the solar hospitals (pdf, January 2008)  Background
The Eastern area of Burma (often referred to as Myanmar), along the border with Thailand is a zone that has been under siege for the past several decades. The Burmese military have been constantly oppressing the indigenous peoples of this area, burning villages and crops, forcing men and women into slavery, raping, and killing.
In the past, it was possible to escape to refugee camps within the Thai border, and currently there is a string of refugee camps along the border with Thailand, the largest of which houses 45,000 people. However, political developments between Burma and Thailand have made it increasingly difficult to come to Thailand. Consequently, about 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) live in hiding surrounded by landmines without health care and permanent shelter.
One of the largest of the indigenous groups in this area is the Karen people. They have a population of over 200,000 people on the Burma side of the border.
 Due to the nature of their oppression, medical assistance is not supported by any governmental agency, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are not permitted to operate in this zone. Therefore, the resultant structure that has evolved for providing aid to this population is one supported by Karen groups on the Thai side of the border. These groups are the Karen Health and Welfare Department (KHWD) (not part of the government) and the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (IDKP) an NGO. The KHWD has, over the years, built up a network of medics and clinics operating inside Burma. They support over 28 clinics with a roster of approximately 75 surgeons, medics, and nurses. The medics treat landmine victims and other casualties of the conflict and grinding oppression.  Refugees and Villagers in Thailand
Along with the Karen medics from Burma, refugees living in the camps along the Thai border and Thai Karen villagers also attended the solar training . The Thai Karen villagers can put their solar skills straight to work. They have all been given solar power systems as part of a massive government program for rural electrification. However, without proper training on solar power use and maintenance, there is a danger that the systems will fall into disrepair. This local training empowers villagers to become their own solar technicians and ensures the long-term sustainability of the program. This project was funded thanks to the generosity of individual donors like you , as well as Knightsbridge International, the McCargar Foundation, The BMA-NA, SunEnergy Power International, and the Open Society Institute .
See the Thailand Page for more information on Border Green Energy Team, our local partner implementing this project. BGET has partnered with the Engineering Studies Program (ESP) school located within the Mae La Refugee camp to to train students in renewable energy technologies and applications. The students have been a vital help on many BGET projects, particularly those located within the refugee camps. Currently, many refugees from the camps are being resettled to Australia, Canada, the US, Sweden, and Norway. While resettlement provides for new opportunities, it is also breaking up friendships that have lasted for years. Read about the daily life of some of these amazing students on their personal weblog: http://karenrefugee.livejournal.com/ They are very open to hearing about life in the US and would love to hear from anyone with time and curiousity to write to them.
Initial Burma Project Profile (PDF, 2004)
Read Walt Ratterman's Trip Report from March 2004 | 
