Living conditions in Burma are among the worst in the world. Millions of Burmese from all ethnic groups have had to leave the country in search of work, safety, food and shelter. However, upon entering one of Burma's neighboring countries, like India, these unprotected refugees find themselves in one of the most dangerous and vulnerable positions of society. Deprived of legal protection until they manage after months or years to obtain refugee status from the UNHCR, they are frequent victims of assault, forced displacement, expropriation and bullying by employers and landlords, with a high rate falling victim to sexual harassment and gang rape. Police forces are reported to pay little attention to complaints from the Burmese and in numerous cases failed to launch penal action even against perpetrators whose identity has been established.

Burmese assault victim in Delhi, March 2010.

Lacking public support and being foreigners, Burmese refugees in India have to rely entirely on their own community. Local self-reliant aid groups are operated by engaged and courageous individuals with donations collected from within the community. Most global attention is focused on issues inside Burma or on India's domestic problems, rather than on the plight of Burmese refugees in India. Thus the refugees have to keep a very low profile - contributing to a vicious circle where invisibility breeds vulnerability and financial distress that in turn result in a lack of capacity development and advocacy for one's rights. Moreover, claiming one's human rights might provoke hostile reactions from the majority population.

While concerned individuals worldwide cannot change the legal framework or living conditions of Burmese refugees in India, they can support existing small initiatives and informal self-reliant aid groups. An amount of money that would seem too small by Western standards to be effective can help some refugees to cover local travel expenses, connect an advocacy group to the Internet, or start a small community business.

Free Health Care for Refugees

We have selected the micro-projects to be sponsored by evaluating the relevance of the project's general aim, the benefit of the proposed activities for the target group, the justification of planned expenditures, and the applicant's capacity to handle the project. We have put a priority on activities that are multi-ethnic and that empower women, refugees and individuals that find it hard to make a living due to physical handicaps, sickness or due to their having fallen victim to violence against refugees. We favored in particular micro-projects likely to spur a sustainable activity that will not cease after the project has finished.

All applicants went through a mandatory training on project management. Grantees have received an advance payment of 60% of their project expenses and will receive the remainder in August if implementation and monthly reporting have been successful.

Activities start in June, while implementation and final reporting from the field is scheduled to be finished by December 2012. Further extension is possible if the project receives a positive evaluation and if the sponsors' interest is ongoing.

Empowering the weak while minimizing risks

It goes without saying that all of these micro-projects are non-profit-making. Outputs are continuously monitored and together with the eligibility of expenditures evaluated in final reports. An integral part of our concept is putting the money directly into the hands of grassroots groups. This means, however, that we won't use any means of enforcement. We believe that we need to acknowledge their full responsibility and we seek to empower them by giving them the experience of learning by doing. Although they may lack professional project management skills, all of the grassroots groups are experts in their fields.

Although it is impossible to avoid some inaccuracies in forecast expenditures or ultimate project feasibility, our stringent selection procedure and careful personal instructions ensure that such cases will be minimized.

One of the strongest motives of the grassroots groups receiving support is their own reputation in the refugee community. Joining our program brings them both prestige and responsibility, because squandering of these precious resources would not be tolerated by the community.

This program is part of our project Indian Base for Democracy in Burma, primarily supported by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This gives us the financial backing to ensure that all grassroots groups can start their micro projects while we still search for individual sponsors.

While the budget for the micro grants is partly covered by the Czech Foreign Ministry through its Transition Promotion Program, we have split the missing amount for co-financing into a limited amount of shares of €20 / US$29^* each. These shares can be donated by anyone, and there is no limit as to how many shares you can choose. One micro-project can be supported by a group of sponsors, or, at the other extreme, one person can decide to donate the total amount of shares and sponsor one micro-project all by him or herself. You can join in any time - as long as shares are still available.

In order to collect money for co-financing the microgrants, Czech laws require us to arrange that donors be registered beforehand with their name and address as members of a club of supporters. Membership will not imply any other benefit or obligation than that of sponsoring the microproject(s) of your choice. We don't request any membership fee and membership can be canceled any time.

Your registration will help us to stay in touch with you, the sponsor, until the micro-projects have finished (completion is anticipated in December 2012). If you wish, we will put you into contact with the grassroots organization you have sponsored. We will also send you a final report about your micro-project by the end of January 2013.

Please find the detailed conditions of sponsorship, membership and our privacy policy here. If you need any additional information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Is it possible to donate a share without registering?

Public fundraising for charitable purposes is regulated by special laws designed to provide the utmost transparency and accountability. Therefore, we have to follow special rules for non-profit accountancy and must register our donors. While the utilization of the Friends of Burma helps us considerably in meeting the legal requirements, your membership will not burden you any more than any other purchase that requires registration. We don't request any membership fee and membership can be canceled any time.

Can you guarantee that the micro-grants will be used in full accordance with the project description?

Although we will be doing everything possible to monitor and assist the grassroots organizations in implementing their projects, we are not able to provide any guarantees. This is the nature of micro-grant funding: you support inexperienced target groups who live in poverty and thus cannot be made liable for losses they may cause. We have endeavored to preclude, however, any failure by carefully examining applicants and projects, and consulting with our local project partners on the applicants' background.

A refugee woman has to work at home to be able to look after her sick daughter.

What are the other sources of funding of these micro-projects?

The main sponsor is the Czech Foreign Ministry. The remaining amount is paid by our organization (Burma Center Prague) and the individual sponsors we are looking for through our web site.

Do micro-grants really make a difference?

For small informal groups of refugees even the fare for a rickshaw ride can constitute an insurmountable obstacle. What's more, the refugees often have the skills to earn their own money, but lack the start-up funds to buy tools or pay the rent for a workshop. A small amount of aid can bring about big changes if diligently disbursed to the right places.

After the pilot phase in 2010, our team evaluated the reports and visited most of last year's grantees in July 2011. The impressive work that has been done with the microprojects and the improvements set in motion have convinced us to award a major share of this year's total funding to last year's best performers.

Will the grassroots groups have to return any of the money they receive?

No, money that is properly spent on micro-project activities needn't be returned. We support the target groups with grants, not loans. We don't want to addle them with the burden of debt.

What happens to the micro-projects if you don't give out enough shares?

In the unfortunate case that we cannot mobilize enough sponsors, our organization (Burma Center Prague) will cover the missing funds, if necessary by reducing some of our other activities. The funding of the micro-projects is therefore never at risk and the grassroots groups can already commence activities while we continue to search for co-funding.

Can you reveal the identity of those who are implementing the micro-projects.

In most cases we can. If the refugees request anonymity for their own safety, this will be indicated in the project description

I fell in love with a micro-project. Can I continue funding it after 2012?

Free healthcare for Burmese refugees in Delhi

Great! Let us know your ideas and we will consult with the grassroots group about the possibility of extension.

Who is covering the cost of setting up this micro-grant program and its administration?

The costs of setting up and running this program are for the most part borne by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mandatory co-financing is provided by Burma Center Prague and dedicated individuals. We are grateful to our supporters behind the scenes for helping us to help others!

Can I get a receipt for a tax refund?

As registered Czech non-profit charity we can issue you a receipt on request in Czech or English. Please consult your tax advisor if this document would be accepted by your local finance office for tax refund.

I would like to donate shares in a micro-project but I need more information. Can you forward my question to a grassroots organization?

Please contact us with your question. We will be glad to assist you.

Where can I find more information about the people who have launched this project?

Please find our main Web site at www.burma-center.org.