During Monday night, Mawlamyine received heavy rainfall so I awoke to a rather wet morning. We breakfasted in the 3rd floor dining room of the Kaung Myat Hotel - convenient since our rooms were also on the same floor. Like many countries, Myanmar tends to use the American notation where the ground floor is called the 1st floor so the 3rd floor is two storeys up. I'm afraid I usually use lifts these days, when available.
The plan was that we would be picked up at 8.00 a.m. but it was a little later when Zaw Moe Aung collected us. Last year, they just put a temporary sun roof over the narrow lane outside Hlaing Drop In Centre for the Distribution and something similar had been installed in 2019 but the risk of further rain had made it prudent to move the Distribution to the monastery a short distance away from the Drop In Centre. It was raining as we drove slowly through Hlaing's crowded street market to reach the Drop In Centre but the rain stopped a little later and didn't resume.
Hlaing's crowded street market.
Since my last visit, there have been important changes in the charity structure. Although Care Myanmar are still involved in the work, it's now carried out through a local charity called Nway Htwe Thaw Yin Khwin. The Drop In Centre has been modified to incorporate two small offices for the Project Team and the Administration and Finance Team.
After finding out a little more about the various initiatives, we moved to the monastery where the distribution was held in an assembly room, open on one side. Exercise books, pencils, erasers, pens (for older pupils) and a good-quality school uniform in a Government-approved style were issued. In 2019, as an innovation, rather than issue a traditional pattern of shoulder bag, back packs with zipped compartments were issued. This proved a very popular change. Most of the young people remembered me from my previous visits and I was asked to give a short address, in English, which Doctor Hla tun translated. I chose the theme "Never Give Up".
Hlaing Distribution 7-May-2019.
A group of young people after the Hlaing Distribution: Hlaing/Future Generations 7-May-2019
After the Hlaing Distribution, some of the children returned home by small motor-cycle taxis: Burma 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Hlaing is predominantly a poor area and there are examples of extreme poverty. After the distribution at the monastery we visited a small number of these 'poor houses', issuing small sums of money or items of clothing like men's shirts.
Making a donation to a retired midwife in Hlaing. During her career, she had delivered almost 500 babies: Burma 2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
An affectionate Alzheimer's sufferer in Hlaing.
After Hlaing, we stopped at a tea shop for lunch and then visited a new venture, opened in September 2018: the first Safe House for Abused Women in Myanmar, initiated through Care Myanmar but funded by the Norwegian aid agency Norad.
First Safe House for Women in Myanmar.
In the afternoon, we drove to the Drop In Centre called 'Future Generations' for further Distributions to children.
Distribution at Future Generations 7-May-2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
Future Generations- the Group Shot: 7-May-2019 (Photo: Aung Ko Latt)
When our work was finished, we stopped at a tea shop for hot, sweet tea before making a fascinating tour by car at dusk of Bilugyun Island which faces Mawlamyine across the estuary of the Thanlwin River. Until recently, the access was only via ferry but an impressive bridge and viaduct over one mile long now links the island to the mainland.
The day finished with a visit to the tea shop near our hotel for an evening meal. A wonderful, if exhausting, day. Once again, we overnighted at Kyaung Myat Hotel in Mawlamyine.
Related posts on this website
This is one of a series of posts describing my 14th visit to Myanmar. The post Return to Burma is the first post in the series.
Clicking on the 'Next report' link displays the post describing the next events. In this way, you may read about the trip in sequence.
Next report.
Alternately, clicking on the 'All my Burma 2019 reports' link displays all the posts on this trip in reverse date-of-posting order.
All my Burma 2019 reports
My pictures
I've uploaded lots of pictures to 'Flickr' but they're not all sorted and titled. I'll get onto it as soon as I can.
Hlaing/Future Generations 7-May-2019
Burma 2019
Kaung Myat Hotel, Mawlamyine (most pictures taken on earlier visits).
[Minor edits 24-May-2019: Edits, pictures embedded 27-May-2019]
