The internally displaced Karen and other ethnic minorities have suffered years of brutal treatment at the hands of the Burmese army. The notoriously unjust regime has been accused of ethnic cleansing in Burma to remove the Karen and other minorities from existence. The regime routinely practises genocide, torture, rape and other human rights abuses and the Burmese society is suffering terribly. According to the UN there are around 150,000 refugees in Burma.
Goat Farm
Goat Farm is a simple but innovative idea which seeks to provide a sustainable source of food and some measure of stability for the Karen. The farm was first started with 100 goats and this expanded to three more areas with a total of 500 goats. Through the sale of produce to local markets such as corn, soya beans and potatoes, the farms eventually became self-sufficient.
In addition to the goat farm, our partners distributed between 3-5 acres of land to each family to develop self-sufficient agriculture and farming and to ultimately generate income by providing vegetable seeds and other agricultural products, such as beans, corn and chilli. Each family were also given 10 chickens to breed with the intention of receiving a male and female goat, from the goat farm project. Each family will now be able to raise goats for their own farm.
Education is Key to the Future of the Centre
Teams of educators have been sent into the villages to teach families how to breed the goats. Once the goats have produced three kids, one is given back to the farm to ensure its continued expansion. The goat farm has benefitted six villages inside the Burma border reaching around 2,000 people.
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