Support Teacher Trainings in rural Myanmar

7^th Report for Rural Teacher Training in Myanmar
September 16^th , 2015

Dear friends, family and supporters of our Teacher Training Programs in Myanmar,

It is the middle of the rainy season here in Myanmar and we continue to support teachers and students through our programs. Although the rainy season brings a slight lull in our trainings due to the weather, we have stayed quite busy. We are excited to share with you some of the most recent developments in our training programs to support the teachers and youth here in Myanmar to gain better access to new tools, techniques, methods and practices which support the holistic development of children.

New Integrated Sustainable Design for Buddhist Monasteries
Together with our colleagues Richard and Cheryl from New Zealand, we have started to support the development of several of the Buddhist monastic schools to become model sustainable schools. Using basic Permaculture (sustainable design principles) and earthen building techniques, we are working with the senior abbots, teachers and students to develop their schools to be designed in a more environmentally friendly manner. Together we are working to set up; new sustainable buildings, alternative power sources with solar, recycling and compost systems, organic gardens, edible landscapes, playgrounds and more. We are working with several other partner organizations to compliment and support their trainings in order to create a handful of model schools throughout the country. Currently we are working with Shwenadi Monastic School in Magway Division in the Dry Zone which works with primarily ethnic Chin children and Naung Taung Monastic School located in Southern Shan State working primarily with ethnic Pa-O children.

Bamboo Treatment, Bamboo and Earthen Building and Resilient Bamboo Forestry 
As part of the work with our friends from New Zealand, we are now working to support a series of on going trainings to be held here in Myanmar to support the further sustainable development of a few of the monastic schools we are working with. Together with partner organizations from Indonesia, we will be starting to host the first series of bamboo workshops in Myanmar.

Training of Trainers (TOT) for Monastic Schools
Together with our partner organizations, Socially Engaged Monastic Schools (SEMS) and Center for Promotion of Monastic Education (CPME) we held our second Training of Trainers. The training brought together alumni from several different teacher training programs to provide further skills training and to better develop their capacity, not just as teachers, but for them to also step into the role of training in order to further spread the new methodologies and knowledge on holistic education.

Testimonial from Teacher Training Participant
"The training has started a real change in me. I had a very traumatic childhood. I was always discriminated against in school; therefore I developed a habit of isolating myself from others. I hated working with others. I know these behaviors are bad but I couldn't help myself to abandon them even when I became a teacher. I used to be sad, feel powerless and cried often. I didn't expect that SEMS training would bring a change in me. At first in the training I couldn't describe how frustrated I was. I didn't enjoy being with other people in the training. But gradually I started to learn and like working with others. I began to enjoy talking with other people. I started to abandon my habit of crying whenever I am frustrated. And I began to see that other people are the same and we all are the same. Actually since my experience of discrimination I have to admit that I hate the Bamar people. But now I can reflect on that and change my attitude. This is one of the biggest changes in my life! Due to the self-awareness training I have learned to change my old attitudes and behaviors."

Upcoming
As the rainy season will come to an end over the next few months, our schedule will get even more busy. We have several trainings already lined up over the next few months, which include: Play for Peace trainers from India to come to Myanmar for one month of training, Brighten Foundation Youth Empowerment and Soccer trainings to be held across the country in November, Earthen Building Trainings to be held in Kachin State to finish kindergarten, further Training of Trainers with partner organizations in Kachin State, Upper Myanmar, further Permaculture and Earthen Building Design for monastic schools.