Background

Association for Promotion of Children Youth and Family or APCYF are a local non-profit association that was registered under Section 78 of the Civil and Commercial Code in Thailand. Since established in 2005, we have been working in Fang district of Chiang Mai, Thailand in the area close to the borderland between Thailand and Myanmar to ensure the equal rights of the immigrant children who are perched on the territorial and social edges of society, invisible to the institutions that typically support childhoods. In Fang district, there are over residing 100,000 undocumented migrant families. We have been engaging in the resilient community development projects along with the alternative learning centers in orange plantations and the scholarship projects to the address the lack of identity documentations, social protection and education among these migrant children.

Amidst the situation in Myanmar, where the military seized power and ongoing conflicts between the Myanmar military and ethnic minority groups persisted, local villagers faced economic challenges.  Migrant workers from Shan State, which shares a border with Fang District, began moving into the area as a continuous stream of labor migration. This movement occurred clandestinely through natural routes, which constituted illegal entry into the town.

In addition, a significant number of children (aged 13-18 years) arrived from Shan State in Myanmar, illegally entering Fang District, seeking refuge. Many of these children were ordained as novice monks because in Myanmar due to the conflicts between the ethnic minorities and the government, children were forcibly conscripted into the military. Subsequently, the parents of these children sent them to Thailand to escape these circumstances.

Overall Goal

Children of migrant workers in the project’s working area receive basic child rights leading to safe and better life

Activities

The organization aims to promote child rights and meet basic needs among children of migrant workers, youths, and their families through various initiatives:

• Raising awareness and providing training on child rights and basic needs.
• Facilitating language and educational preparation for children of migrant workers entering formal schooling.
• Supporting children in continuing their formal education.
• Providing counseling and assistance for children to complete compulsory education.
• Advocating and coordinating with government authorities to ensure access to documentation, education, and healthcare.
• Offering counseling and support for migrant workers to obtain legal working documents.
• Conducting awareness campaigns on the effects of narcotics and alcohol on children and youth.
• Building capacity among children and youth in areas such as group formation, democratic participation, and advocacy.
• Empowering youth-led campaigns against alcohol consumption and child violations.
• Advocating for the implementation of national policies to address alcohol-related harm.
• Educating communities about the Child Protection Act.
• Empowering migrant worker groups and networks.
• Advocating for the inclusion of migrant representatives in local Child Protection Committees.
• Promoting the development of local Child Protection Policies.
• Supporting women migrant workers through savings and career development initiatives.