TOPS Thailand
 

Taipei Overseas Peace Service (TOPS) is part of the Chinese Association for Human Rights, a Taiwan-based non-governmental organization (NGO) that previously operated under the name of the Thai-Chinese Refugee Service (TCRS). Since 1980, TCRS had provided emergency relief and development assistance for Indo-Chinese refugees located in northern and eastern Thailand . In 1994, the organization was reformed as TOPS.

From the outset, TOPS-Thailand has been providing educational assistance programs to refugee camps and implementing community development projects to remote Thai-Karen villages along the Thai-Burmese border in Tak Province , Thailand . At the same time, TOPS-Cambodia has been carrying out non-formal education programs in adult illiteracy and for school dropouts in Siem-Reap Province , Cambodia .

TOPS recognizes that full community participation is a fundamental aspect of development work, and seeks to involve every stakeholders at all stages of its work - from assessing needs and project planning to implementation and supervision.

Objectives & Strategy

  • Ensuring protection of Human Rights of vulnerable groups.
  • Emphasizing local participation and ownership.
  • Building the capacity of local community and local authorities.
  • Stressing coordination and resource integration between partners.

Refugee Early Childhood Development Program
TOPS has cooperated with the women groups and refugee committees to implement Early Childhood Education and Nutrition Programs in Mae La (since 1997), Nu Po and Umpiem Mai (since 2000) refugee camps.

TOPS provides a range of services to the nursery schools – all implemented through local staff – such as teacher trainings and networking, local curriculum development, school supplies, nutritious lunches for the children on school days, and subsidies to the nursery school staff, camp-based trainers and supervisor, etc.

In the 2008 school year, TOPS assisted around 4000 children and 200 caregivers in 39 nursery schools throughout the 3 refugee camps in Tak province with these services.

Refugee Camps Social Services Program
TOPS has worked closely with the women groups in Mae La and Nu Poh refugee camps in Tak province, and in Mae La Ma Luang and Mae La Oo camps in Mae Hong Son province in order to develop and plan small self-sustainable projects to assist Extremely Vulnerable Individuals (single parents, isolated women, orphans, elderly). These projects include a small income generation project and a safe house project which acts as a temporary shelter for victims who have suffered from domestic violence and have nobody to take care of them.

Burmese Migrant Children Development Program
By working closely with local educational groups, Burmese Migrant Workers’ Education Committee-BMWEC and School Health Team of Mae Tao Clinic, TOPS has started the assistance to Burmese migrant children since 2005. We provide concrete buildings for schooling, nutritional lunch to children, educational materials such as teaching aids, stationary, as well as deliver skill trainings to migrant teachers. Additional support for emergency needs to schools has been given in response to the flow of migrant children and community as well.

In 2008 school year, averagely 45 teachers from 35 migrant schools were benefited from the migrant teacher trainings conducted by TOPS. TOPS assisted around 1000 children with lunch, 15 schools in terms of building, teacher stipend, material and technical supports in Mae Sot, Mae Ramat and Phrop Phat Districts, Tak province.

Thai Community Development Program

  • Assistance to Village Schools Education
    Since 1998, TOPS has provided supplies to primary schools in coordination with the local education authority and fully supports village schools by working closely with the communities in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province. In the 2008 school year, there are 500 students who benefited from TOPS’ involvement in branch schools.

  • High Education Scholarship Project
    TOPS has offered free accommodation, scholarship, living cost, and study assistance for Karen youths who are eager to study in university and college. In addition, we contribute other resources which are necessary to train the youths such as computer training and textbooks on English conversation and community rights, etc. in order to develop their potential in ways that are useful for their daily lives.

  • Community Development Project
    In order to improve the living standards of the villages within this district, TOPS has conducted a social survey in order to understand the villagers’ needs and, based on this, has promoted supportive community development projects in these villages. For example: weaving, health checking, agriculture training, and micro-hydropower plant.

Taipei Overseas Peace Services
P.O. BOX 66 Mae Sot, Tak 63110, Thailand
E-mail : topsthailand@gmail.com
Tel/Fax : 055-542068