Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    Burma Ministries- The Free Burma Rangers formed in Burma in 1997 and are comprised of people from different ethnic groups within Burma providing direct relief to communities most affected by the results of the government's oppression. These teams are trained to provide medical care and counseling, while documenting and reporting human rights violations. Since its formation, more than 1,000 missions have been conducted to help over 1.5 million people. Together with other organizations working toward a free and peaceful Burma, more than 100 Free Burma Ranger relief teams bring help to people facing oppression. In January 2021, Burma Army attacks in ethnic areas began to increase. With increase brazeness, the military conducted troop movements, shelling of civilian villages, murder and wounding of villagers, and construction - all outright violations of the National Ceasefire Agreement. On 1 February, the military overthrew the democratically- elected national government in coup, and at the same time upped the level of attacks in the ethnic areas to another level. For the first time in 20 years, airstrikes were used in the Karen areas of eastern Burma, very near to the Thai border. As of the printing of this report, the military has killed nearly 1,000 protestors in the cities and more than 24,000 people are displaced in Karen State alone, by airstrikes, mortars, and groun assaults. The Burma Army has also escalated attacks in Kachin and Shan States. A parallel government, the "National Unity Government," has been formed with multiple ethnic representatives. We have 104 FBR teams in Burma and performed 70 missions in 2020 with about 2,000 people helping per mission, or 140,000 people helping in total. We treated some of them with medicine and helped others with food, clothing, shelter, and encouragement. We performed Good Life Club (GLC) programs all over Burma, sharing the gospel by sharing the message that "Good life comes from God." To tell them the gospel story through GLC bracelets, to pray with them, and to remind them they are not forgotten by God or by the internation community can bring healing. As the Burma Army continues its attacks in the ethnic areas of Burma, the GLC is now more important than ever. Burma has been divided for more than 70 years and while the government has attempted to broker peace with ethnic groups, the predatory attacks of the military at the same time belie the sincerity of these peacemaking overtures. The focus of GLC is to show God's love to the children in conflict areas. Through spiritual dramas, songs, games, and other activities. GLC counselors spend time with the children and show them that, even though their lives don't always feel very stable, they are not alone. Inspired by John 10:10, where Jesus promises abundant life, the GLC believes that primise is true even for those children and stives to share this life with them everywhere they go. The GLC was founded in the midst of a mission to Karen villagers who were hiding from Burma Army soldiers who were trying to capture or kill them. It was founded in faith that this verse was true, even as children had to hide in the jungle with only the few supplies they and their parents could carry, faith that God's promise of abundant life was true even for them. The GLC has wrestled with this promise from Burma to Sudan to Iraq and Syria. We have found that God's promises sustain us while we try to follow His example to share His abundant life. This is the Good Life Club. We also conducted out annual Free Burma Rangers Servant Leadership and Relief Team Training and celebrated our 23rd anniversary of FBS's existence. From October to December 2020, 96 people from across Burma participated in the training including 59 new basic sutdents, making up 11 new FBR teams. 22 second year advanced students, participating with 15 students from JSMK made up our advanced training, going deeper into the topics they had learned in basic training the previous year. This year students came from four different ethnic groups and represented six different ethnic organizations. The Naga team traveled the farthest, all the way across the country to attend the training, joining the Kare, Karenni and Arakan. From start to finish, our ethnic headquarters leaders did an amazing job running the training, dealing with problems togethers, and making sure that this was one of the best trainings ever delivered. The staff that leads the training is made up of instructors and junion instructors, all who have been through FBR training and involved with FBR for many years. Most of the ethnic groups that send teams also send and instructor. One of the major hurdles that our teams had to face this year was the death of a ranger in a training accident. Saw GayKu who came from Ler Doh area of 3rd Brigade of Karen State tragically died in a training accident. This was the first student who has died furing a training event. Saw GayKu came to training because he wanted to serve and help his people. He will be remembered and missed by our FBR family. Graduation took place on December 31st and part of the celebration was recognizing four Rangers that were baptized this year. After graduation, the teams divided into four groups to complete follow-on missions together with instructors. They will have an opprotunity to practive their new skills on a real mission, but with instructors and experience Rangers available for further coaching and feedback. Once finished with the mission, they will return to their home areas, ready to conduct missions there. They will have learned and practiced many new skills to be able to help their people in many kinds of crisis, as well as having gained new relationships across ethnic lines. Both these skills and relationships will be of vital importance as Burma and her people move into and uncertain future. There are three requirements for FBR team members: 1) They must be literate in at least one language, to be able to send out reports. 2) They must have the physical and moral courage to be able to do physically hard and dangerous missions, and cannot run away from the enemy if the villagers they are helping cannot run. 3) They must do this work for love; they are not paid by FBR. Rangers are to "Help the people, get the news out." They learn to document the human rights violations they encounter on missions by taking videos, photos, and conducting interviews with the people they meet, including villagers who have experience violence or oppression, local leaders, teachers, soldiers, and others they are trying to serve. Ranger reports give a voice to those who are oppressed to tell their stories. The reports are processed, cataloged, collated, filed, translated and shared all over the world. The Jungle School of Medicine- Kawthoolei (JSMK) is a small hostipal and clinic nestled in the hills of easter Burma as part of FBR's Tha U Wah training camp in Karen State. In March of 2020, as the world faced the expanding COVID-19 pandemic, FBR's JMSK prepared for the worst by altering patient flow, building up supplies, and teaching village leaders how to prevent transmission and deal with symptomatic patients. To our relief, during 2020, the virus never arrived in the district surrounding our campus. Its impact, nonetheless, substantial. Resupply became very difficult and visits from outside staff were sharply curtailed. Sick patients could no longer be referred beyond the border. During this same time, military attacks on villagers increased significantly, leading to a rise in insecurity in the region, and decreased mobility and supply. The support team in a neighboring country gained a terrific doctor and we are revising the curriculum. Further developments on our campus have improved internet communication, and our support administrator is establishing online education. In this time of COVID, love plants its hopes in a field called "Persistance", watering them with God's faithfulness. JSMK by the numbers: Treated 324 inpatients, 2,650 outpatients, 9 senior medical staff, 12 junior staff, 21 basic students, 1 intern, 1 facility managers, 10 years in operationg, 166 medics trained. school near JSMK. At our Cross Border Clinic we examined over
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $1.3M

  • Program 2 [2020]

    Middle East Ministries - We were invited first to help Kurds and Yezidis under attack by ISIS in 2015 and later by the Iraqis in the Battle of Mosul; we were also invited to help in Syria. We now have full-time teams in Syria and a Kurdish and Iraqi team in Kurdistan (northern Iraq). These teams are augmented with ethnic medics, videographers and chaplains from Burma. In northeast Syria over 200,000 are displaced by attacks of the Turks and their proxies, the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Many live out in the desert with little access to any help. One of our team member from Burma, Zau Seng, was killed during these attacks and two of out team members were wounded. Our team helps provide food, water and some shelter for these IDPs as well as the love of Jesus. ISIS is active and their attacks make it more difficult to provide services but our team continues anyway. "When the attacks came, you did not leave us. You stayed with us and helped evacuate the wounded and help us treat them. We thank you and God so much," said Kurdish Doctor Akif (head of hospital in Ein Issa). In Kurdistan and Iraw, our teams provide relief, and emergency ambulance service, and do relief missions into Syria. Our main ministry is to be with people under attack. To pray with them, to point them to Jesus, and help in any way we can. To say alongside them no matter what. This means enduring maching guns, mortars, and bombs and not knowing if you're going to get out alive. Other times it means singing traditional songs in Kurdish and dancing around a fire late at night. Sometimes it means praying together, asking God for His protection, leading, provision, forgiveness and for our enemies hearts to change. It means we are together in love. 2020 highlights: IDPS FLEE IDLIB TO NORTHEAST SYRIA. In Februrary, our team was able to serve people newly displaced by the Syrian government's bombing of their homes, but afraid to go to Turkey. COVID-19 HELP IN KURDISTAN. During the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Kurdistan, our team helped with ambulance transport and support for the COVID-19 response in Kurdistan, northern Iraq. CHURCHES RISE IN RAQQA. FBR has supported the rebuilding of an American Orthodox Church that has been destroyed by ISIS in the heart of Raqqa, the former ISIS capital. With the help of an Arab sheik and Kurdish and Arab members of a new civil council, it has made progress. The exterior is nearly complete and we are now working on the interior. CONGRESSIONAL VISIT U.S. Congressman Ralph Abraham visited the people of northeast Syria and was a blessing everywhere he went. His humility, concern, deep questions, and heartfelt responses earned him respect and the US reputation, which was hurt badly, was helped. NEW CHURCH FORMS IN IDP CAMP. An Arab nurse we met fleeing Turkish attacks in 2019 became a Christian after he began working as a translator for us, and has now begun a church in the IDP camp where his family lives. He is also our current Syria team leader. New believers, New Team leaders, and New Ambulance- We first met Hamdu on the road as people ran from the Turks and FSA during the Turkish invasion of 2019. Just a few days earlier his family had fled the area and lost their home and possessions. After he found a place for his family, he came back to the from to see how he could help, as he had some medical experience. We met and he joined us for the rest of the mission and especially helping Karen with GLC. Two weeks later he became a follower of Jesus and now has nine IDP families who want to start a church. recently he also helped coordinate the delivery of an ambulance to help move wounded in Ein Issa. This was an answer to prayer and we thank you all who support this mission for making this possible. Thanks for helping us help those in need. Middle East Numbers: We have two teams in the Middle East, in Iraq a team and a Syrian team, which are augmented for most questions by headquarters team members. We helped 10,000 people with food packs and other support in 2020. We supported 3 hospitals for staff, construction, and repair expenses. We also helped with new equipment. We supported four churches with staff, construction, and project support. We also helped encourage 5,000 children through Good Life Club programs.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $613.5K

  • Program 3 [2020]

    Thailand Ministries - We supported three hostels in Thailand, provided medical treatment, patient care, and other medical training. FBR aviation also completed construction of a new hanger and our very own Karen ethnic, Kittikoon,received his flight instructor certificate and will begin training other Karen ethnics to fly in Thailand. The purpose of Free Burma Rangers Aviation is to share the love of Jesus in any way we can through the use of aircraft. FBR aircraft are used medically to transport patients and medicine, as well as medical personnel. They are also used to transport transport relief supplies and personnel in support of FBR's humanitarian purposes. FBR Aviation is for the joy of flying and the inspiration it gives people to know that God's gift of aviation is for the good of everyone, including the oppressed. We also supported students and short-term missionaries in Thailand. Every year on the second Sunday in March, the Free Burma Rangers participate in a Global Day of Prayer (DOP) for Burma and encourage others worldwide to join in praying for Burma, its many people groups, and its ongoing conflict. As part of the DOP, FBR publishes a magezine that gives a deeper look into the situation and the people affected by it. For the 2020 DOP, 5,800 Thai, 2,000 Karen, 1,500 Burmese, and 9,000 English magazines were printed and distributed. A total of 18,300 magazines. All magazines and publications including the annual report are available for download on the Free Burma Rangers' website, www.freeburmarangers.org.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $246.9K