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a dream in Moe Bu’s mind seven years earlier. There is no government funded health care in Karenni State, and since most people are very poor subsistence farmers, few can afford to pay for
arenni Student Development
and we support many projects to achieve
hospital treatment in faraway towns.
Programme (KSDP) is a unique UK
this aim.
Many Karenni die at a young age and the
registered charity which was founded
aim of ‘Caring Stars Clinic’ is to offer
by our daughter, Stephanie Lee (ONL,
treatment, medical advice and health
1998) in February 1999. Stephanie took a
education in the hope that everyone can
gap year after school and after teaching
enjoy a healthier, longer life.
English in Vietnam, she travelled and came across a Karenni/Burmese refugee
Democracy is slowly coming to the
camp on the Thai/Burma border. She was
ethnic minorities of Burma, who have
very moved by the plight of the refugees
been living under a policy of ethnic
who, having suffered many years of
cleansing for over 60 years. Stephanie’s
oppression inside Burma under a military
charity remains an important force in
dictatorship, had fled across the border
In 2007, KSDP was able to sponsor Moe
this area and KSDP provides the support
to the safety of a refugee camp. With this
Bu, a Karenni refugee, for a temporary
which is vital if the refugees living in
passion inside her, Stephanie returned to
visa to the UK to work with KSDP. She
the camps and those who remained
the UK to set up the KSDP charity. She
was ultimately granted asylum in the
inside Karenni are to have any future
also changed her educational focus and
UK and she told us of her ‘two dreams’.
opportunities.
went to SOAS to read Burmese, Thai and
One was to become a qualified nurse
S.E. Asian politics and every university
and the other was to build a clinic in her
If anyone would like to hear more about
vacation she returned to the refugee
village. In June 2012, Moe Bu graduated
our work, or ‘sponsor’ a young Karenni
camp to teach English. She worked hard
with a nursing degree and then worked
by regular monthly contributions of as
to raise funds and worked part-time
in NHS hospitals in London. On gaining
little as £5, do please contact me. As a
during her studies to fund her trips back
her UK passport, in December 2013, she
very small, family-run charity, we operate
to the refugee camp, so that every penny
returned to her country to work with the
with minimal administrative costs so that
raised went to the Karenni refugees.
Karenni Mobile Health Committee and
every penny that is raised goes directly
to oversee the building of KSDP’s newest
to the Karenni people and even small
Tragically, in November 2001, Stephanie
project, The Caring Stars Clinic, in her
amounts can do so much out in Burma.
was killed in a motorbike accident close
village. It means so much to KSDP to
to the refugee camp and we immediately
have been able to help Moe Bu who has
By Beryl Lee Chairman KSDP
flew out to Thailand to attend her funeral
become our ‘adopted daughter’, realize
www.ksdp.org.uk
in the camp. Stephanie was just 21 when
both her dreams. It was made even more
beryl@ksdp.org.uk
her life abruptly ended, but she had
special for us because after many years of
achieved so much and had made such a
being unable to travel to Burma, in June
You might also like to join us at our next
marked impression upon the displaced
2014, we were granted visas and we were
major fundraising event in London when ONL
Karenni people. At her funeral, I made a
able to visit Moe Bu’s village and perform
(and ex-NLCS art teacher) Susan Bennett
pledge to the Karenni that the work of
a Grand Opening of the Clinic.
kindly hosts an annual KSDP Garden Party
KSDP would continue in a similar vein
The Forgotten People of Burma
Beryl Lee (Mother of ONL Stephanie Lee, 1998) writes about continuing her daughter’s legacy helping the Karenni The Forgotten People of Burma
in her beautiful garden (which was featured
and I’m proud and honoured to have
With ceasefire talks taking place, Karenni
on ITV’s “Best Back Gardens” in January).
taken on Steph’s passion and helped
has peace of sorts for the first time in
This year the event will be held on Sunday
KSDP to grow and develop to meet
sixty years and it has only just become
July 26th 2pm to 6pm at 5 St. Regis Close,
the changing needs of both the Karenni
possible for foreign nationals to visit a
Muswell Hill, N10 2DE. Plants for sale,
refugees and those Karenni remaining
few townships within that ethnic state.
wonderful home-made teas and cakes plus
inside Burma. KSDP’s motto is “To help
It was so wonderful to be able to see in
KSDP stall selling beautiful, unique
the Karenni people to help themselves”
real life this project that had started as
hand-crafted refugee and hill-tribe gifts.
ON L i n e m a g a z i n e
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