From camps to champs: A coding bootcamp unlocking futures on the Thai–Myanmar border

In Mae Sot, Thailand, thousands of undocumented Burmese youth live in the shadow of conflict—cut off from formal education, stable work, and secure futures. In October 2023, Equitech Collective launched DevChamps: a coding bootcamp pilot held in a safe house for displaced youth. More than a training program, DevChamps offers a bridge—from displacement to digital empowerment.

Students learn core software engineering skills in a setting designed to restore confidence, foster peer support, and open real-world opportunities. For many, it's the first time they’ve been invited to imagine a future beyond survival.

DevChamps continues to grow as a proof of possibility—that with the right tools, talent can thrive anywhere. And when young people are equipped to shape their future, they help reshape the future of their communities too.

More on this case study coming soon.

Background

The Mae Tao Clinic provides essential healthcare to approximately 250,000 migrants and refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border but faces significant operational challenges.

Reliance on pen-and-paper medical records leads to frequent transcription errors and data loss. Considerable time is devoted to manual record management, limiting clinic capacity to serve patients in the region.

Our Approach

Through collaboration with the Mae Tao Clinic, we designed and implemented a low-cost, low-code EHR system tailored to local needs.The implementation followed a phased approach, beginning with an initial pilot that onboarded 84 patients before scaling to 600 patients.

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Patients onboarded

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Clinical staff trained

Our Impact

Digital Health Rollout

600 patients onboarded to the EHR system in partnership with Mae Tao Clinic — with a planned scale-up to 250,000+ patients across the border region.

Expanding Access

EHR implementation sets the stage to reach multiple border clinics, improving continuity of care and health equity for displaced and marginalized populations.

Local Capacity Building

Hired and trained local talent in Mae Sot, laying the groundwork for self-sustaining clinical operations led by the community.

What people are saying

"It's so convenient for checking lab results. With the paper-based system, when results weren't ready, we had to physically go and check. Now we don't need to go anywhere."

- Mae Tao Clinic Staff

"The system is definitely useful. It's quick, which means patients don't have to wait as long."  

- Mae Tao Clinic Staff