Donation of School Fees

23rd April 2011

Seven of the ten girls supported by the 'Better Future Project'.

Certain 'Road to Mandalay' Donors wished to provide educational support to girl students in the Bagan - Mount Popa area and this desire has been implemented in the 'Better Future Project' which provides school and tuition fees during 2011 to ten girls from four villages. The Donors have targeted girls in the belief that they will have a greater attachment to their local area than boys and are more likely to help take care of the local community on completion of their education.

Many able students in rural areas have to leave their education after Middle School because there is no local High School and parents cannot afford the fees or travelling costs to a suitable High School. The students for the 'Better Future Initiative' were chosen in conjunction with local Headmasters and Head Monks.

The ten girls are made up up of 1 at Grade 9, 5 at Grade 10, 2 at Grade 11 and 2 who have passed Grade 11 and will be attending University or Midwife Training.

More pictures

Stationery Distribution at Pauk Taw Pauk Myaing School

31st December 2010

Stationery distribution at Pauk Taw Pauk Myaing School.

On 31st December 2010, Dr. Hla Tun, accompanied by guests from the 'Road to Mandalay' donated two exercise books and four pencils to each of the 210 students.

Damaged, woven bamboo ceiling.

In addition, money was donated to allow replacement of the damaged woven bamboo ceiling which has lasted for 18 years.

Renovation of Donated Schools in Myanmar

4th January 2011

The 'Road to Mandalay' charitable initiatives in Myanmar have been building schoolrooms for so long that re-decoration and renovation is required on the older properties. This work is also paid for by 'Road to Mandalay' and their donors.

Bagan School

At the end of 2010, the school building in Bagan was repainted inside and out. The building was erected around 2002 and has been used extensively since then. The redecoration had to be arranged for the Christmas and New Year period when the school would be closed.

This picture (by Dr. Hla Tun) shows the schoolroom in December 2010, soon after repainting. The donated building was built 8 years earlier.

I've made one visit to the school, on Sunday, 30th October 2011, the date of the official opening of the Bagan Medical Clinic. My post on the clinic opening includes a short piece on the school building and there are a few pictures around the school building here.

Shwe Kyet Yet High School

Another property renovated at the end of 2010 was the Shwe Kyet Yet High School. Parents and teachers co-operated in the organisation of the work which took a mason, a carpenter and a painter ten days to complete, finishing on 3rd January 2011.

This picture (by Dr. Hla Tun) shows work on the entrance steps at Shwe Kyet Yet High School.

Pictures of Shwe Kyet Yet High School Renovation.

Orphans in Myanmar

23rd December 2010

Orphans from Mandalay carol singing in December 2010.

Although Myanmar is a largely Buddhist country, Christmas is widely celebrated. On the 23rd December 2010, fifteen orphans from Mandalay gave a carol concert. Afterwards, the RTM Charity donated money to the orphanage.

There are many orphanages in Myanmar, taking in large numbers of children. Sometimes the children have lost both parents, sometimes only one where the poverty prevents the remaining parent from looking after the child. Extreme poverty may result in a child with both parents living being classed as an orphan.

Bagan Monastery: Three young boys being prepared for the noviciation ceremony.

Where there is no suitable orphanage, a local Monastery or Nunnery may take in children to become Novices. On 26th December 2010, three young boys were noviciated at Bagan Monastery and guests from the 'Road to Mandalay' were able to witness the proceedings.

Bagan Monastery: Three young boys being presented to the Head Monk in December 2010.

There are a couple of earlier posts describing visits to orphanages in Myanmar. On 1st Sep 2009 I visited Doe Pin Orphanage. Then, on 1st November 2011, I visited three orphanages (including a second visit to Doe Pin) in the company of Captain Myo Lwin and Dr. Hla Tun.

Stationery Distribution at Kyoon Khing Gyi School

18th December 2010

Stationery distribution at Kyoon Khing Gyi School.

An earlier post describes a visit to Kyoon Khing Gyi School following a period of exceptional rain. On 18th December 2010, Dr. Hla Tun made a further visit, accompanied by two guests from the 'Road to Mandalay'. Each of the 230 students were given two exercise books and two pencils.

Polite, smiling children in rather basic accommodation at Kyoon Khing Gyi School.

At many schools in Myanmar, some classrooms are rather basic. This illustrates the importance of the 'Road to Mandalay' charitable initiative to provide better schoolrooms, substantially built using brick walls and zinc-coated corrugated steel roofs, paid for by foreign donors.

New school building under construction at Kyoon Khing Gyi.

The visit to Kyoon Khing Gyi also gave an opportunity to look at progress in the construction of the new school building donated by the Toyota Charter Group from Australia.

At the adjacent village of In Chaung, Dr. Hla Tun looked at the foundations of another donated school building which should be finished in May 2011.

Foundations of the new schoolroom at In Chaung.

Dietary Deficiencies in Myanmar

20th November 2010

Poverty is widespread in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and many health problems are related to poor diet. Proper nutrition is particularly important for growing children.

The 'Road to Mandalay' Social Contribution includes initiatives to improve nutrition and the photograph above shows a group of about 250 children being given a meal of Congee (a rice porridge) in Taung Be village, Bagan on 20th November 2010.