According to the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, there are ten known refugee camps along the Thailand Burma border with over 150,000 Burmese refugees.

We visited the Nu Po refugee camp to explore the possibility of helping the Burmese who fled to Thailand. These camps are overcrowded shanties illustrative of the most deplorable conditions imaginable. The Nu Po refugee camp has 15,000 persons with no running water, no electricity, and no sanitation facilities. The closest town is 1 1/2 hours away, and given the limited transportation options, there are scarce employment possibilities.

The United States now recognizes the true causes creating the Burmese refugee situation, and as a result, the Burmese are the fastest growing refugee population in the United States. In 2007, the United States accepted about 15,000 Burmese refugees according to data from the U. S. State Department. As a result of our March 2008 trip, we are sponsoring our first Burmese family who arrived in Austin, Texas July 31, 2008.

Through our newly-formed 501 (c) (3) organization, The Burma Connection, we envision working with local resettlement organizations to assist other refugee families as they transition to a new life in America. We are committed to coordinating such activities as providing apartment furnishings, ensuring reliable transportation, arranging prospective employers, and helping with cultural orientation. Under our envisioned refugee assistance program, we will enhance the chances of refugees to more smoothly acclimate to their new country, and provide the opportunities for them to more quickly discontinue their reliance on U.S. federal funding.

To support a typical refugee family of five people will cost $1,100 per month