Welcome to our blog, where we will keep you updated on our humanitarian project titled Books for Burmese Refugees.


At the end of 2009 we began collecting English-language comic books which we will personally distribute among the 100 residents of the children’s home. We also aim to set up a lending system to allow other young people from the camp to access the books.


Our goals with this project are to provide a highly appealing visual and textual media to support the English lessons these young people receive at school and give them an entertaining but constructive way to spend their free time. The adolescents will receive an introduction to reading comic books (a type of text with which they are not necessarily familiar) and will have access to English-Burmese dictionaries for better comprehension. Later, we would also like to give them the opportunity to create their own comics, with topics such as their experience living in the camps or their dreams for the future. For this second phase of the project, we would also provide drawing materials.


This project will be financed by donations from individuals (family members, friends and colleagues of the organisers), but the budget will be tight. If you are interested in helping us with this project, please contact us. Sending us one or two or your own used comic books will delight many children who, although poor, are highly motivated to learn and express their creativity – children who worry about their future but are holding onto hope in spite of the difficult circumstances. It takes so little to bring them happiness.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Distribution of the books in Nu Po Camp

On Monday we got back from our trip to Nu Po Camp. The four days we spent with the kids were full of emotions, happy moments and laughter!




The kids were extremely happy with all the books and started reading them immediately. Thanks to our great Karen interpreter Lolo, we were able to organize reading, drawing, painting and craft-making workshops. In three days, we helped the kids make their own comic books in groups of five. The results were amazing: beautiful drawings with their life stories and dreams. Stories that teach us more about the the struggles in their village, the reasons why they came to the camp, their new lives in Nu Po Camp, the importance of education, and last but not least, their dreams for the future...




We have taken some of their comics along with us and hope to publish them when are back in France. If we can make some money with the publications, we might be able to help them renovate the house they live in…


Thank you all for your interest in this project. All the kids say "thank you" in the Karen language: Tablo!
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