OUR BACKGROUND
Social Action for Children and Women (SAW) was found on June 25, 2000, to support displaced girls and young women from Myanmar who fled to Mae Sot, Tak Province, Thailand due to crisis and conflict. SAW’s mission is to empower and protect vulnerable girls, women, children, and migrants affected by political instability along the Thai–Myanmar border.
The foundation provides safe shelters, health education, psychosocial support, vocational training, and community-based services. Over time, SAW has expanded its programs to include care and education for orphaned children and children of migrant families. In 2008, SAW was selected as one of 25 global recipients of the Red Ribbon Award from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its grassroots work in HIV prevention and education. In 2016, The founder, Mrs. Aye Aye Mar, received the Prachabdi Award from the Thai Royal Family for her humanitarian contributions.
In 2017, SAW was officially registered as a foundation and more than 62 orphaned children has been granted Thai citizenship , while others received long-term legal identification. The foundation also operates permanent facilities to support women and children in its care.
OUR OBJECTIVE
- To assist women and children affected by displacement along the Thai-Burma border by providing services in areas of health education, health care, education, safe housing, vocational training, awareness raising, capacity building and psychosocial support.
- To assist migrants and influx through the provision of health education, health care, education, safe housing, vocational training, awareness raising, capacity building and psychosocial support.
- To meet its goals, SAW has been closely collaborating with Mae Tao Clinic, Mae Sot Hospital, UNHCR (Mae Sot), Migrant Rights Promotion Working Group (MRPWG),Anti-Trafficking Network, Community-Based Organizations Network (CBOs Network), Gender Based Violence Network, Committee for Protection and Promotion of Child Rights, Burmese Worker Associations and other women organizations in Mae Sot.