StarFlower - For Equal Opportunity

Some of the most marginalized migrant children on the border are children with physical and mental disabilities. As these children demands special attention, and a specialized and individually adapted curriculum, the regular Migrant Learning Centers do not have the capacity nor the experience to deal with these cases

Thus, the Star Flower Special Care Center, is filling the educational gap for children with special needs. Individually customized training is necessary to enable children with disabilities to fulfill their full potential

Another local organization, Stepping Stones Therapy Project, is providing physiotherapy for these children with lifelong neurological conditions Physical stimuli and activity is imperative for the development of these children

In February 2017 we started a six weeks pilot program, making a football team with these superstars of Star Flower. Most of them had never played football before, and the different conditions reflected their individual ability levels. Nonetheless, their enthusiasm was mind-blowing from the first training, and when the six weeks of the pilot program had finished, we were never in doubt about the need to extent the program. So now, we will for the foreseeable future, continue with weekly training, providing these children their right to reach their potential.

At the moment, 16 children from 7 to 15 years attend the weekly PlayOnside Star Flower training under guidance of Naw Laura Htway.

Crossing the Borders: Summer School in Karen State, Burma

As the situation is gradually changing in Burma, more and more organizations are downscaling their activities on the border, to move inside the country For PlayOnside, this is not a goal, but we are also intrigued about working more “inside”.

Our first project across the border was in Karen State in April 2017 Former students at Minmahaw School arranged as summer school in a small village called Shan Village in Karen State, Burma.

We have a close relation with Minmahaw, and were invited to be a part of the summer school We happily accepted, and Zin Min Naing and Pyae Sone from PlayOnside ran football activities, games and tournaments for two weeks, and it was a great success In 2018 we are invited back, and we are very excited about this opportunity