The Learning Exchange Foundation is starting with a new project: a Karen Hotel School in Karen State in Myanmar
This rising need represents a great potential for the youth of the Karen refugees. There are several big refugee camps at the Thai Border. Each camp has more than 100.000 refugees who have been living under very primitive circumstances in the camps for 50 years. By reaching out to unemployed young adults, KHS (Karen Hotel School) helps them to become self-supporting – giving them the opportunity to create a good future for themselves and their families.
Mae La refugee camp
Background: Myanmar is recovering from the effects of 50 years of economic sanctions and numerous internal ethnic group conflicts. It experiences a rapid economic development, liberalization, and democratization resulting in important Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The current political situation has created enormous opportunities in the Tourism sector directly translating in the development of many hotel properties in the country. This is a chance for ethnic displaced groups to return to their homes and work.
An opportunity has come forward to create a bridge between the Karen youths and the new job opportunities of the hotel sector. The given objectives of the proposed hotel-school are:
- to integrate Karen youth, and in particular the refugees staying in the camps, to the tourism economic development of Karen State;
- to provide qualified staff for hotels in Karen State and more specifically for Eco-lodges that will be built in Karen State (still at project phase);
- to be economically sustainable by generating part of its revenue through a training hotel and restaurant.
Learning Exchange Foundation 