Naw Eh

“I want my baby to go to high school. We’ll work hard so it’s possible for him. We live in a village in Myanmar. I was in school until year 8, then my parents took me to Thailand so they could find a good job to support the family. We were in Thailand for one year. Both are now cutting sugar cane and doing different farming jobs. My father stopped school after grade 4. Now my husband doesn’t go to school so he can provide for our family.

For one day of work we earn $9 per day. With no documentation, our choices are very limited.

I worry that my baby will once day choose the wrong friends or use drugs. For now, we are happy. My grandparents visited today and they are so excited to have a grandson”.

At the Mae Tao Clinic, for $50 women can give birth safely. Eastern Burma has one of the highest rates of infant and maternal death in the world. For women who make it to the clinic across the river border in Thailand, their chances to give birth safely are significantly higher, giving the next generation the opportunity for a healthier, brighter future.

By being born in Thailand, children get access to an identity card which gives them the opportunity – while not guaranteed – to have the same rights as a Thai citizen. Thailand is the most developed country in the region, a destination for migrants and refugees from neighbouring countries, like Myanmar.