Development projects in Myanmar (Burma)

When I went to Burma to teach English for a month, I took with me the small amount of cash that I had raised from spinning wool and knitting it into baby garments. A little goes a long way in developing nations like Burma, and this money was enough to pay for a professional tailor to teach six women how to sew, and also to purchase six sewing machines. These six women came from villages that had been decimated by cyclone Nargis in 2008, and the training plus machines enabled them to begin providing for their families again. 

I returned to Burma to teach English for a month at a time each year for 12 more years, and each time I took over whatever money I’d raised from my spinning & knitting fund. We had a good relationship with a reliable local pastor over there, a man who was also known by friends of ours and who had a heart for helping people with a hand-up rather than a hand-out. One year we took over six laptops so he could teach a group some very basic computer skills. Many in the group had never touched a computer before. This class was a significant step towards gaining employment later. 

After about three or four of my annual trips to Burma, I wanted to take on a bigger project. Many children there cannot afford to attend school since they live too far away and the cost of boarding in another town is out of reach for their families. Over the next several years we were able to fund the construction of a boarding house near to a school in a centrally located town.  More than 80 children are now appreciating the opportunity to learn, knowing that this will help prepare them for further training in whatever vocation they choose. 

My next goal was to find a way for this hostel to be self-sufficient. Previously they relied on foreign donations for their daily needs, but by purchasing a piece of land they will now be able to raise crops to provide for themselves. 

 

I am now looking into the possibility of providing some relief from Covid-19 among other things. 

Thank you so much for your support in these projects.