We have heard about the girls’ orphanage in Kyite Latt run by nuns. We were saddened to learn about the poor conditions of the children in the orphanage/school and a few months ago, our volunteer KK was able to visit the school during her trip to Ka-Ni village orphanage to donate MHF monthly contribution. Thank you, KK and the team for making this possible!
Below is our volunteer KK’s report from the field.
1. Another trip to Kani Orphanage for monthly contributions
Our five people team set off from Yangon to Phyar-Pon at 7:00 pm by boat. We brought along loads of things to donate to the children just like our previous trips. We arrived in Phyar-Pon at 7:00 am. We all loaded our things in “Sampan”, a small boat powered by single outboard motor, to go to Kani village. Our “Sampan” set off at 8:00 am and arrived at Kani village at 10:00 am. We donated the monthly donation from MHF satisfying the total cost of the 10th grade students’ education for the rest of this school year. We also gathered some donations among ourselves and provided 10th grade old exam books to the orphanage. After that we surveyed the school buildings for reconstruction cost estimate. Then we had lunch at the orphanage.
Please see our previous report for details on Ka-ni Orphanage. Please click here for Ka-ni Orphanage photos
2. First trip to Kyite Latt (Women Developing School)
We then set off to Kyite Latt to visit the girls’ orphanage, which we heard, was in desperate need. We ride on the back of Honda Super Cab motorbikes as the road condition didn’t permit us to go by car. We left Kani village at 12:00 pm. After two hours of back breaking motorbike ride on rough roads, we arrived at the “Pyin-Nyar-Wadi Amyo Tha Mee Bawa Myint Tin Yay Kyaung”.
The school was established in 1973. Eighty two years old head nun who suffered from stroke twice is currently managing the orphanage. There’s also a house guardian who teaches at a primary school and brings all the children to school everyday.
There are 27 girls of various ages who came to this nunnery for many reasons. Some lost their parents, some came here after their parents divorced or remarried and some came as their families or relatives could no longer support them.
Children go to Middle School of Kyite-Latt for their primary and secondary education and a total of 20 girls are in school age:
3 - Kindergarten students,
Most of the girls dressed in worn out and mended clothes. When we acquired if they have enough clothes, we were asked to bring even the torn clothes as they learned to fix them to wear. My heart sank when they said that to us.
Their daily food consists of mostly vegetables and beans. Like any orphanage, their food depends on the donated money. They used to get regular donations before cyclone Nargis. Now the school faces problem providing even their most basic need, food. They said that it is getting very difficult to get 100,000 kyats (~ US $100) donation a month to feed the children. Now the children nutrition relies on the vegetables grown in their yard.
The orphanage consists of four structures, a one storey brick building (main building) where the nuns live, a collapsing 1 story wooden building, and a collapsing two storey wooden building with attached small kitchen and dining/study room downstairs. The children used to live upstairs of that two storey building but now they live in a small room in main brick building along with the nuns as the two storey building was damaged by the cyclone and now collapsing and in unlivable condition. I felt very sorry to see all of
Donation
First of all, I gave the donated money from Moegyo (MHF) to the school. The school guardian accepted the money and gave us receipt signed on behalf of the school. She said that this donated money would be used not only for the children’s food but also for the candles for them to study at nights.
After that, I went to their dinning room to distribute the presents
We then set off to Kyite Latt to visit the girls’ orphanage, which we heard, was in desperate need. We ride on the back of Honda Super Cab motorbikes as the road condition didn’t permit us to go by car. We left Kani village at 12:00 pm. After two hours of back breaking motorbike ride on rough roads, we arrived at the “Pyin-Nyar-Wadi Amyo Tha Mee Bawa Myint Tin Yay Kyaung”.
The school was established in 1973. Eighty two years old head nun who suffered from stroke twice is currently managing the orphanage. There’s also a house guardian who teaches at a primary school and brings all the children to school everyday.
There are 27 girls of various ages who came to this nunnery for many reasons. Some lost their parents, some came here after their parents divorced or remarried and some came as their families or relatives could no longer support them.
Children go to Middle School of Kyite-Latt for their primary and secondary education and a total of 20 girls are in school age:
3 - Kindergarten students,
2 - 1st grade students
2 – 2nd grade students,
4 – 3rd grade students,
1 – 4th grade students,
1 - 5th grade students,2 – 6th grade students,
3 – 9th grade students, and
2 – 10th grade students
4 – 3rd grade students,
1 – 4th grade students,
1 - 5th grade students,2 – 6th grade students,
3 – 9th grade students, and
2 – 10th grade students
There are also 4 orphans who are now nuns, 2 grown-up orphans who teach sewing to children and 1 university student at PaThein University who teaches the children at primary school. Altogether, there are 27 orphan girls in that school. I had the pleasure of meeting all of them.
Basic Needs
The school receives about 45,750 kyats (~US $45) for food and 150,000 kyats (10 rice bags) a year from the Ministry of Human Affair for 27 children in the orphanage. The finance of the school is maintained by a 16 people committee (including members of local authority) and the money is granted upon request. The school faces difficulties with daily expenses. The children live in poor living conditions and the school desperately needs help.
Basic Needs
The school receives about 45,750 kyats (~US $45) for food and 150,000 kyats (10 rice bags) a year from the Ministry of Human Affair for 27 children in the orphanage. The finance of the school is maintained by a 16 people committee (including members of local authority) and the money is granted upon request. The school faces difficulties with daily expenses. The children live in poor living conditions and the school desperately needs help.
Most of the girls dressed in worn out and mended clothes. When we acquired if they have enough clothes, we were asked to bring even the torn clothes as they learned to fix them to wear. My heart sank when they said that to us.
Their daily food consists of mostly vegetables and beans. Like any orphanage, their food depends on the donated money. They used to get regular donations before cyclone Nargis. Now the school faces problem providing even their most basic need, food. They said that it is getting very difficult to get 100,000 kyats (~ US $100) donation a month to feed the children. Now the children nutrition relies on the vegetables grown in their yard.
The orphanage consists of four structures, a one storey brick building (main building) where the nuns live, a collapsing 1 story wooden building, and a collapsing two storey wooden building with attached small kitchen and dining/study room downstairs. The children used to live upstairs of that two storey building but now they live in a small room in main brick building along with the nuns as the two storey building was damaged by the cyclone and now collapsing and in unlivable condition. I felt very sorry to see all of them living in a small room. I promised myself that I would find potential donors to help reconstruct their building.
3. Second Trip to Kyite Latt
This is my fifth trip to Delta Area. Before the trip, I managed to gather as many things as I could for 27 girls at the school. I also encouraged my students to donate for them. Surprisingly, I got many more things than I except before my trip. I collected 12 dozens exercise books, 5 dozens pencils, 50 pens, 20 rulers, sharpeners, erasers, 32 dozens shampoo packs, 18 bars soap, sweets, snacks, 3 sets of 10th grade question books, 2 bags of clothes, and 495,000 kyats from MHF altogether.
I reached the nunnery at 10am. As I phoned them before hand, all the children were expecting us since early morning. They all came out from the school and welcomed us when we got there.
This is my fifth trip to Delta Area. Before the trip, I managed to gather as many things as I could for 27 girls at the school. I also encouraged my students to donate for them. Surprisingly, I got many more things than I except before my trip. I collected 12 dozens exercise books, 5 dozens pencils, 50 pens, 20 rulers, sharpeners, erasers, 32 dozens shampoo packs, 18 bars soap, sweets, snacks, 3 sets of 10th grade question books, 2 bags of clothes, and 495,000 kyats from MHF altogether.
I reached the nunnery at 10am. As I phoned them before hand, all the children were expecting us since early morning. They all came out from the school and welcomed us when we got there.
Donation
First of all, I gave the donated money from Moegyo (MHF) to the school. The school guardian accepted the money and gave us receipt signed on behalf of the school. She said that this donated money would be used not only for the children’s food but also for the candles for them to study at nights.
After that, I went to their dinning room to distribute the presents to the children. The children were anxious to see the gifts as this was the very first time receiving gifts. We gave old question books to 10th graders and distributed the gifts to all. The girls were very happy to receive the shampoo and bathing soap as well. They usually washed their hair with traditional shampoo since the school couldn’t afford to buy shampoo for them. The children were so excited that they said they wouldn’t be able to sleep that night.
And then, I took photographs of the children having lunch while they had their very best clothes for the photo. The monastery next door to the nunnery had lunch donors that day and the children could eat with fish since monks share meal with children whenever there is a donor. Otherwise, their meal merely consists of vegetable grown in their own little plantation. The monastery is the main supporter of the school. The monks share the things like rice, onion, oil, potato and etc. with the children.
After our lunch, we went around the compound and took more photographs. Then, we said goodbye and went back home. On my way back, I couldn’t stop thinking of the happy faces of the children while they were receiving the presents. Whenever I came back from my good deed trip, I thank to MHF for inspiration and my family for helping me pack and prepare for my trip.
And then, I took photographs of the children having lunch while they had their very best clothes for the photo. The monastery next door to the nunnery had lunch donors that day and the children could eat with fish since monks share meal with children whenever there is a donor. Otherwise, their meal merely consists of vegetable grown in their own little plantation. The monastery is the main supporter of the school. The monks share the things like rice, onion, oil, potato and etc. with the children.
After our lunch, we went around the compound and took more photographs. Then, we said goodbye and went back home. On my way back, I couldn’t stop thinking of the happy faces of the children while they were receiving the presents. Whenever I came back from my good deed trip, I thank to MHF for inspiration and my family for helping me pack and prepare for my trip.
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Thank you all for giving us the opportunity to help the children in Myanmar who are in great need. Together, we can make a difference in many young lives.
Please click here to see the photos of the school.
