Youth Cabinet inspires change in Thailand's Tham Hin Refugee Camp
Youth Cabinet inspires change in Thailand's Tham Hin Refugee Camp
Refugee youth volunteer, On Ku assisting children in Tham Hin refugee camp.
With some time left before the session began, En Ka took the stage and showcased his dance moves to the beat of a pop song. His fellow volunteers gathered around, clapping and cheering, their happy voices filling the hall and encouraging him as he danced.
With fluid grace, En Ka's body swayed rhythmically to the beats, his feet shuffling and spinning. Each movement radiated the joy and freedom he longed for- even within the confines of the camp, the hall transformed into a vibrant stage where his dreams danced alongside him.
Despite limited internet access, En Ka dove into K-pop culture, teaching himself to dance by watching videos whenever he could.
“I want to be a model and a dancer,” he shared, his eyes bright with ambition. “There’s so much to do in this world, but it can’t be done here [in the camp],” he reflected, aware of the barriers he faces.
En Ka is one of the 37 elected members of a Youth Cabinet in Tham Hin refugee camp, a group formed through school-level elections earlier this year. For the past two years, he and his friend On Ku, age 14, have actively participated in the Youth Cabinet activities.
The Youth Cabinet project is part of a broader European Union funded initiative on child protection, designed to empower refugee youth volunteers to lead activities that build leadership skills and positively impact their communities.
UNHCR’s partner, the Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR), implements the project across all nine camps in Thailand. A group of 380 trained male and female volunteers in the Cabinet have collectively worked on three key initiatives that have reached an estimated 4,000 children and youth through awareness campaigns on substance abuse, efforts to prevent early child marriage, and self-protection training for young children.
A group of refugee youth cabinet members walking in the neighbourhood during their camp visit activity in Tham Hin refugee camp.
Twice a month, On Ku and En Ka join their friends to visit elderly refugees living alone, helping them clean their homes. Some days, they gather to collect trash in the camp, conduct awareness raising session for young children on self-protection or organize sports events, activities that foster community spirit.
“Before joining the Youth Cabinet, I was very shy. I never spoke to strangers,” On Ku recalled with a smile. “Now I am confident and knowledgeable and I help other girls like me to make their voices heard.”
For En Ka, participating in the Youth Cabinet has been life changing. “It helped me grow and understand the consequences of bad habits,” he shared, reflecting on the value these sessions have brought to himself and his peers.
Tham Hin is home to over 4,900 refugees from Myanmar, with approximately 38 percent of them being children under the age of 17. Most of these children, including En Ka and On Ku, have been born and raised within the camp, and many have never stepped foot outside its boundaries. Their understanding of the outside world is limited to their imaginations, filled with dreams of what lies beyond the camp's confines.
"We have so much to give, and we’re ready to share it with the world."
Through the Youth Cabinet, En Ka and On Ku are determined to challenge the stereotypes often associated with refugees.
“We want the world to see that refugees are people with talent,” said En Ka. “This world has so much to see and explore, and so many opportunities. We want to be free and have the same rights as others,” On Ka added.
On his forearm, En Ka traced the outline of a tattoo he designed himself—a vivid expression of his dreams and identity. The letters L-O-V-E stretched across his fingers, while barbed wire and a kweh (buffalo horn) intertwined over a pattern resembling sweeping peacock wings.
“This is my way of expressing myself,” he said, gazing down at the ink that symbolizes his passion and resilience. “I love dancing. I even won a competition. When I dance, I can forget the challenges around me and feel free.”
Beyond dance, En Ka enjoys playing football and volleyball with his friends. He also loves writing poems and songs that express his experiences and dreams. On Ku enjoys makeup and singing but aspires to become a doctor if given the opportunity for good education.
“We have so much to give, and we’re ready to share it with the world,” they said, reflecting the resilience and creativity that flourish despite the camp's limitations.
