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Our Work

Assistance for Displaced Persons from Myanmar in the Temporary Shelters

Ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar has forced tens of thousands of people to flee into Thailand. In response to the influx of Myanmar displaced persons, the Thai government has established nine temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border, located in Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Tak, and Mae Hong Son provinces.

Since 1984, COERR has been providing continuous support to displaced persons through various initiatives, including community service and social welfare programs for vulnerable individuals, training programs in organic farming and animal husbandry, environmental awareness and disaster risk reduction projects around temporary shelter areas, as well as livelihood programs in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.

Areas of Operation:
COERR provides humanitarian assistance to displaced persons from Myanmar residing in 9 Temporary Shelters located across 4 provinces in Thailand, as follows:

  1. Ban Don Yang Temporary Shelter, Sangkhla Buri District, Kanchanaburi Province
  2. Ban Tham Hin Temporary Shelter, Suan Phueng District, Ratchaburi Province
  3. Ban Mae La Temporary Shelter, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province
  4. Ban Umpiem Temporary Shelter, Phop Phra District, Tak Province
  5. Ban Nupo Temporary Shelter, Umphang District, Tak Province
  6. Ban Mai Nai Soi Temporary Shelter, Mueang Mae Hong Son District, Mae Hong Son Province
  7. Ban Mae Surin Temporary Shelter, Khun Yuam District, Mae Hong Son Province
  8. Ban Mae La Oon Temporary Shelter, Sop Moei District, Mae Hong Son Province
  9. Ban Mae Ra Ma Luang Temporary Shelter, Sop Moei District, Mae Hong Son Province

Main Projects and Activities

  1. Community Services for EVIs (Extremely Vulnerable Individuals), including orphans, unaccompanied and separated children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, single parents caring for multiple children, community-based alternative care arrangement, as well as child protection by providing assistance and community services.

Key activities include:

  • Training in psychosocial support for social workers, both those stationed at field offices and displaced persons serving as community-based social workers. Training is also provided to community-based organizations within the temporary shelters, with the aim of strengthening knowledge, capacity, and community service skills.
  • Case management for individuals with specific vulnerabilities, including counseling services and referrals to relevant agencies for further support and intervention.
  • Regular home visits to vulnerable persons to monitor their living conditions and overall well-being.
  • Monitoring, follow-up, and care for unaccompanied and separated children, and raising community awareness on the importance of child protection.
  • Recreational and therapeutic activities to support emotional and psychological healing.
  • Coordination mechanisms established in collaboration with community committees and organizations within the temporary shelters, such as:
    • Camp Management Committees
    • Women’s Committees
    • Youth Committees
    • And other humanitarian partners including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), non-governmental organizations, and the Ministry of Interior, among others.

2. Organic Farming Training Program Based on the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy
This program includes proper small-scale animal husbandry, environmental awareness within and around the temporary shelters, and disaster risk reduction initiatives.

Key activities include:

  • Training on organic farming and animal husbandry, along with the distribution of vegetable seeds, seedlings, and agricultural tools and materials. The program also supports the development of community farming plots to equip displaced persons with knowledge and practical skills for sustainable agriculture, while promoting greater self-reliance in food production.
  • Disaster preparedness training, including emergency evacuation drills and awareness campaigns on both natural and man-made disasters. Activities include:
    • Broadcasting disaster preparedness messages via community loudspeakers
    • Organizing community campaigns and distributing educational materials
    • Distributing plastic bags for use in sand-and-water fire suppression
    • Creating firebreaks around temporary shelters
    • Providing essential firefighting tools and equipment to strengthen community preparedness for fire emergencies
  • Promoting environmental conservation and awarenessthroughcommunity-based initiatives, such as:
    • Reforestation/tree-planting activities
    • Education on waste management practices, including waste separation and recycling/upcycling of used materials for renewed practical use

3. Vocational Training and Livelihood Program in Both Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Sectors

This program aims to equip displaced persons with vocational training and livelihood skills to enhance self-reliance and income-generation opportunities both in and outside temporary shelters.

Key activities include:

  • Theoretical and practical training for youth and the elderly on topics such as making of dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent, herbal balms, and traditional food preparation. The goal is to equip participants with knowledge they can apply in their daily lives and to share the products they create with neighbors and the community.
  • Vocational training, including theoretical and hands-on sessions on: basic construction techniques, child and elderly care, catering skill etc.  These skills are intended to support employment opportunities outside the temporary shelters.
  • Practical agricultural training for displaced persons who were farmers and wish to engage in agricultural work outside the shelter. Topics include:
    • Planting and harvesting techniques
    • Use of pesticides and agrochemicals
    • Safe and effective use of farming tools and equipment
  • Provision of small business start-up funds for selected participants interested in agricultural or non-agricultural livelihoods. Examples include:
    • Agricultural sector: pig raising, laying hen raising, duck raising
    • Non-agricultural sector: operating small grocery shops, food stalls/restaurants, traditional weaving, etc.

4. Relief and Welfare Assistance Program for Vulnerable Individuals

This program aims to alleviate the daily hardships faced by vulnerable populations in the temporary shelters.

Key activities include:

  • Distribution of essential personal hygiene kits, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap, to unaccompanied and separated children.
  • Food Support for vulnerable individuals including the elderly, youth living in boarding houses and persons with disabilities, by promoting sprout cultivation (e.g., mung bean sprouts) to increase access to fresh food for household consumption.
  • Providing educational scholarships to impoverished children and youth

5. Preservation of Traditional Ethnic Arts and Craft Led by the Elderly

This program seeks to safeguard and pass on traditional cultural heritage to the youth by empowering elderly community members to take on the role of cultural custodians and promoting communities to honor the wisdom and value of elders.

Key activities include:

  • Supporting cultural preservation activities led by senior community members, who serve as resource persons and instructors, teaching traditional arts, crafts, and cultural practices to youth. This encourages intergenerational knowledge transferandensures the continuation of local heritage.
  • Promoting respect and recognition of the elderly in the community by highlighting their valuable role in preserving and sharing cultural wisdom.

6. Community-Based Waste Management Project

This project focuses on involving the community in waste management to improve environmental health and sustainability within and around the temporary shelters.

Key activities include:

  • Establishment of a waste processing center consisting of a landfill and a high-temperature incinerator to manage waste generated at Ban Mae La temporary shelter, Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province, as well as from nearby Thai villages adjacent to the shelter area.
  • Waste collection in the temporary shelter areas carried out by community volunteers, as well as the cleanup of the riverbank where water is flowing through the shelters into nearby Thai villages. These activities are conducted by youth groups and community volunteers.
  • Support for the construction of waste incinerators in five Thai villages in Mae La Subdistrict to reduce the volume of waste transported to the main landfill at the waste processing center.

Assistance to Urban Refugees and Asylum Seekers

From the beginning of 2002 until present, COERR has provided humanitarian assistances to urban refugees and asylum seekers of over 40 nationalities who took refuge in the urban areas of Thailand while waiting for either resettlement in the third countries or repatriation to their home countries when the situation returns to normal.

There are currently over 6,000 urban refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Presently services rendered by COERR to urban refugees and asylum seekers are classified into three main areas as follows:

  1. Offering educational support to children of urban refugee and asylum seeker families and facilitate enrolment into Thai primary schools
  2. Enhancing psychosocial well-being of urban refugee children and families
  3. Supporting pastoral care activities for Christian urban refugees and asylum seekers

Assistance to Illegal Immigrant Detainees at the Immigration Detention Center, Immigration Bureau, Bangkok

COERR has provided humanitarian assistance to the illegal immigrant detainees at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center of the Immigration Bureau, Bangkok since March 1988 until the present.  These illegal immigrant detainees entered Thailand illegally or overstayed their visa or used fake passports.  Once arrested by the polices, they were sent to the immigration detention centers managed by the Immigration Bureau, for detention in lieu of fine. 

There are around 1,000-1,300 detainees daily detained in the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center.  During detention, COERR has provided personal hygiene kits to the poor detainees on a monthly basis.

Assistance for Vulnerable Populations in Sa Kaeo and Surin Provinces

Since 1993, COERR has been implementing community-based assistance and development initiatives in villages located along the Thai–Cambodian border in Sa Kaeo and Surin Provinces. Over the years, COERR has supported vulnerable and marginalized groups, including older persons, persons with disabilities, children, and youth, with the aim of improving their well-being, strengthening livelihoods, and promoting access to educational opportunities.

Main Projects and Activities:

  1. Food Assistance for Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities – providing essential food support to help meet basic household needs and improve food security among vulnerable community members.
  2. Livelihood Promotion through Livestock Raising for Persons with Disabilities – supporting persons with disabilities to develop sustainable livelihood opportunities through livestock raising and income-generating activities.
  3. Scholarship Support for Children and Youth – providing educational assistance to children and youth to promote continued access to education and support their future development.

Through these initiatives, COERR has maintained a long-term commitment to working with border communities and supporting vulnerable groups to build more resilient and self-reliant communities.

Emergency Relief Assistance

COERR works in collaboration with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, Caritas Thailand, and COERR volunteers to provide relief assistance in response to various emergency situations, as follows:

  1. Assistance to people affected by natural disasters, such as floods, or human-caused disasters, such as fires or armed conflict, by providing basic necessities for daily living, including essential household items, food supplies, or mobile kitchens.
  2. Assistance to Myanmar people fleeing unrest in their country who have sought temporary refuge in safe areas provided by the Thai government along the Thai-Myanmar border in Kanchanaburi, Mae Hong Son, and Tak provinces since 2022 to the present.  Relief items provided include rice, dry food, drinking water, and various essential supplies, such as mats, mosquito nets, blankets, cooking utensils, plastic sheets for roofing, and other necessities.

Volunteer Program

  1. Volunteer Program for Children and Youth in Schools

In 2000, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Pibul Visitnondachai, Bro. Louis Viriya Chandavarodom, and Sr. Dr. Sompis Katanyoojointly established theVolunteers for Social and Environmental Development (VSED) Club. The initiative aimed to cultivate moral behavior among children and youth by instilling a spirit of volunteerism focused on social and environmental development through practical, hands-on experiences with student role models.  

From 2000 to 2006, the VSED Club received financial support from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) to implement a school-based waste separation education project. This initiative was successfully carried out in collaboration with a network of over 100 participating institutions, including Catholic schools and schools under the Sarasas Group.

Since 2011, COERR has continuously supported the club’s activities with the overarching objective of fostering volunteerism, enhancing analytical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills among youth. The program seeks to nurture responsible individuals with strong leadership and teamwork capabilities, who are committed to contributing to society and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the initiative aims to develop youth role models capable of disseminating the knowledge and experiences they gain to their respective schools and surrounding communities.

The Volunteers for Social and Environmental Development (VSED) club comprises members from 13 schools, namely: Sacred Heart Convent, Sacred Heart Don Mueang, Sacred Heart Phatthanawet, Sacred Heart Nonthaburi, Sacred Heart Sawankhalok, Assumption College, Saint Gabriel’s College, Assumption Suksa School, Premrudee School, Pra Wisuthiwong School, Saint Teresa School, Saint Mary’s School, and Saint Peter School

Main Projects and Activities:

  1. Youth Camp Activity: “Instill Courage and Inspiration, Perform Good Deeds, VSED Volunteers” camp was held once a year for one day.  This VSED camp allows new student leaders from VSED member schools to get acquainted with each other and to learn about the mission and objectives of the VSED club.
  2. Role Model VSED Youth Camp: Held once a year for three days, this camp provides student leaders the opportunity to learn through hands-on activities outside the classroom. It aims to instill and promote volunteer spirit and environmental awareness, as well as to enable participants to plan and expand similar activities in their own schools.
  3. VSED Outstanding Students Award Ceremony : Held annually in September, certificates of recognition are awarded to outstanding youths from Catholic network schools and Sarasas member schools in the areas of volunteerism and environmental conservation. This event is organized in honor of National Youth Day (September 20) to commend and celebrate the good deeds of children and youth. Nominees are selected by teachers and school administrators of each school.
  4. Youth Camp Activity: “Following the Footsteps of King Rama IX”: Held once a year for one day, this activity commemorates the immeasurable benevolence of King Rama IX. The main activity involves youth from VSED member schools jointly engaging in environmental conservation efforts.
  5. Social and Environmental Development Volunteer Day : This event honors schools, teachers, and student leaders who have actively participated in VSED club activities throughout the academic year by presenting them with plaques of recognition.

2. Volunteer Program in Catholic Parishes

Since the year 2000, the COERR Foundation has collaborated with parish councils of various Catholic churches to assist the underprivileged within local communities. This has been achieved through the establishment of Catholic Relief Volunteer Groups, also known as COERR Volunteers.  Currently, there are 130 groups across different dioceses as follows:

  • Archdiocese of Bangkok’s Volunteers: 13 groups
  • Archdiocese of Tha Rae–Nong Saeng’s Volunteers: 20 groups
  • Diocese of Chiang Mai’s Volunteers: 20 groups
  • Diocese of Udon Thani’s Volunteers: 16 groups
  • Diocese of Ubon Ratchathani’s Volunteers: 12 groups
  • Diocese of Nakhon Sawan’s Volunteers: 27 groups
  • Diocese of Chiang Rai’s Volunteers: 12 groups
  • Diocese of Ratchaburi’s Volunteers: 10 groups

Moreover, there is one volunteer group in Lepatho village, Myanmar, located near the Three Pagodas Pass checkpoint in Sangkhla Buri district, Kanchanaburi province, and 88 volunteer groups in Luang Prabang and Khammouane Provinces, Lao PDR.

Main Projects and Activities:

  1. Livelihood activities such as fish, frog, chicken raising, and grocery shop
  2. Home visit and Encouragement Activities: visiting bedridden patients and those facing hardships in the community, elderly people in the community.
  3. Monthly Activities Throughout the Year: organized for the benefit of the community.