School in refugee camp celebrates 25 years

MAE SOT, Thailand — The Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School and College in the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand celebrated its 25th anniversary March 25–29.

 The school was founded by Saw Simon, recipient of the Baptist World Alliance Human Rights Award in 2000, who restarted the school at the Mae La camp after feeling across the Thai border after the old school in Rangoon, Myanmar, was destroyed.

Mae La houses an estimated 50,000 people and is one of the largest of several refugee camps for displaced persons from Myanmar who fled conflicts in the South Asian country. The school restarted with 32 students and has since grown to more than 300.