UNOH MaeSot
UNOH has stood in solidarity with our Burmese neighbours since they first moved to Springvale, Melbourne 15 years ago as refugees and heard their story of oppression that still continues. We’ve partnered with our Burmese neighbours in providing relief, education and taking political action in Australia, Burma and Thailand.
The UNOH Mae Sot team has been on the border since the start of 2011. They’ve been living and serving the Burmese community just on the Thai side of the Thai/Burma border river. Many of their neighbours try to make a living in the nearby surrounding factories. Despite the dirty, dangerous and demeaning work for low wages the conditions are better than in their homeland. Rod and Murray have been learning Burmese language from neighbours while using their skills to support local migrant schools.
Rod has been teaching mechanical skills to young adults at a Burmese technical school. It is one of the only opportunities to receive training in vehicle repairs, welding and fabrication, electrical repairs and installation and general machining for these students on the border. Rod’s Thai language skills are also used translating and teaching at the local Thai vocational college that provides some training for these Burmese students.
He has also just recently married Lexie Sheard (nee Keller) who has been working in a Thai communities in Bangkok for the last 4 years. She speaks Thai fluently and has also started learning Burmese. There are many fantastic opportunities for Lexie to be involved amongst the life of female factory workers and she has already spent some time visiting some girls in their homes. We are both excited to see Lexie move up and provide some new life and hands to the community.
Murray has been focusing mainly on learning Burmese and then also teaching English to local factory workers. He also teaches English at a local migrant school and is involved in various after school activities with the school boarders. He often finds himself on the karaoke machine next door or down at the cane ball circle much to the amusement of neighbours.
They often take local people to the local clinic by motorbike or pickup truck. It’s expensive for neighbours to take the public transport into town both financially and due to the many bribes they are forced to pay along the way. Already the team has had many opportunities to support great initiatives already at work on the ground and will continue to look for ways to support their neighbours. We know that presence in the neighbourhood and ability to speak Thai, English and Burmese are huge keys to engaging and creating better understanding in our neighbourhood. Already neighbours have been asking them about the Jesus they follow and
the hope they cling to. Murray, Rod and Lexie hope to be true neighbours of hope for our neighbours along the journey. Thank you for your prayers, emotional and financial support.
“May we use our liberty to promote the liberty of others” -Aung Sun Suu Kyi
If you’d like to receive Rod or Murray’s news updates please give your details here. You can email them at rsheard@unoh.org or petemurray@unoh.org
For more information on what is happening in Burma have a look at these websites:
www.trust.org/alertnet/crisis-centre/crisis/myanmar-troubles (introduction to the situation in Burma)
www.irrawaddy.org (news covering Burma and South East Asia)
bbwob.blogspot.com (Burmese Bloggers w/o Borders)
www.freeburmarangers.org Reports (relief for and reports of war in Burma)
www.aappb.org (Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma)
www.aucampaignforburma.org (news and opportunities to act)