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Why the Karen?

For people living in the jungles of Myanmar, quality healthcare can be the difference between life or death

Karen women picking rocks to build the Rain Tree Clinic which provides healthcare for their community.

Karen women picking rocks to build the Rain Tree Clinic which provides healthcare for their community

The Karen are an ethnic people group concentrated in the eastern mountainous region of Myanmar and western Thailand

Centuries old, they make up more than 5 million people. Community-oriented, generous, and innovative, they form tight-knit communities woven together by loyal companionship and characterized by joy and warmth.

Most Karen people scratch out a living as subsistence farmers in the mountainous jungle, where there are very few resources leftover for education or healthcare.

In spite of this, the Karen are strong in spirit, committed to their culture and community, and desire to better the lives of their people.

A mother smiling holding her crying child in her arms at the T-RAD Clinic.

A mother with her child in the waiting room at the T-RAD Clinic

721 women out of 100,000 will not see their newborn grow up

Maternal Mortality Rate:

  •  721 women dying per 100,000 live births
    (Karen State)
  • 14 women dying per 100,000 live births
    (USA)
  • 6 women dying per 100,000 live births
    (Australia)

Five Karen kids smiling for the camera in their village.

Karen kids posing for the camera in their remote village, Myanmar

138 children out of 1,000 will not live past their 5th birthday

Under-5 Child Mortality Rate:

  • 138 children dying per 1,000 live births
    between 0 and 5 (Karen State)
  • 6.6 children dying per 1,000 live births
    between 0 and 5 (USA)
  • 3.5 children dying per 1,000 live births
    between 0 and 5 (Australia)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The main healthcare problems impacting the Karen everyday

High Mortality Rates for Mothers and Children

The Karen have some of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates (MMR) and under-5 child mortality rates (U5M). For mothers, a lack of public health and access to healthcare can have deadly consequences. For children, 60% of deaths under the age of 5 are from preventable and treatable diseases.

Limited Resource and Infrastructure

It is common for remote clinics to lack enough medicine and supplies can be difficult to obtain. Ordinarily built with rudimentary material, clinics often face a lack of power and medical equipment needed to provide quality healthcare.

Few Highly-Trained Medical Providers

In Myanmar, people from remote areas usually do not have the opportunity for higher education and doctors from the city usually do not know how to work with people from villages. Not only do you need to take care of people’s health, but you also need to understand the local culture and traditions.

Limited Access to Healthcare

Clinics are typically located hours/days away from villages by foot. Roads are bad or nonexistent, and even more so during rainy season. Imagine having to carry someone for hours in a hammock under torrential rain while walking in the mud.

READ THEIR STORIES

Healthcare has already changed the lives of thousands of Karen

Two Karen parents with their newborn baby.

Naw Hser Ler Moo with her husband and their newborn baby

Journey to Motherhood

Find out how Naw Hser Ler Moo was finally able to become a mother.

key healthcare problem: high mortality rates for mothers and children

Physician Assistant students taking care of a patient at the Rain Tree Clinic.

The Physician Assistant students and staff taking care of a patient at the Rain Tree Clinic

Vital Difference

Witness how the Physician Assistant students save lives at the Rain Tree Clinic.

key healthcare problem: few highly-trained medical providers

A drawing showing a capsule being manufactured in the city and then transported by plane.

A drawing showing a capsule being manufactured in the city and then transported by plane

A Medication’s Journey

Find out how long it takes for medication to reach the Rain Tree Clinic.

key healthcare problem: limited resource and infrastructure

A Karen baby patient in the arms of his father.

Saw Tou Oo Soe in his father’s arms

Life is Beautiful

Discover the epic journey of Saw Tou Oo Soe’s birth in the jungles of Myanmar.

key healthcare problem: limited access to healthcare

GET INVOLVED

Support the Karen in their mission for better health!

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Support the trainings and clinics serving more than 1,000 patients monthly

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Work hand-in-hand with the Karen to provide sustainable healthcare solutions

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Connect with the Karen on social media and spread the word to your loved ones