Family Shelter

There are no loans or mortgages but acquiring a house inside the camps is a lengthy process. With the large numbers of refugees pouring into the Thai-based camps from Burma, housing is a serious concern. This large, extended family takes shelter from the burning midday sun under a simple lean-to, squatting on the land until their home can be built. All work is done by hand while bamboo and leaves are the only materials available. With nearly 50,000 people inside Mae La, materials are often scarce while housing is not only on subsistence level but crammed tightly together, increasing the spread of disease as well as unsanitary conditions. Though there is less fear these simple homes will be burned by soldiers like inside Burma, the Karen still live daily with profound emotional pains—even when this family’s house is complete they still won’t be home.