Support Teacher Trainings in rural Myanmar

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

In our last report we updated you on the natural building training program we conducted at Shwenadi Monastic School. The school in the dry zone houses about 450 children, the majority of whom are girls, and does a great deal of work in fostering environmentally friendly practices within its own grounds and amongst the local community. We brought over a team of expert bamboo builders from Indonesia to help teach local craftsmen how to build with bamboo and begin construction of new training hall.

We are delighted to announce work on the building’s roof is now complete. It is so heartening to see how the local team absorbed the new skills with such diligence and mastery to create an amazing focal point for the school. In addition to the physical benefits of having much needed new training space Shwenadi has seen a number of high profile visits as a result of our work there. This has attracted more resources to this wonderful monastic school and is helping improve the educational experience of all its students each and every day.

Regular supporters of our work will know this is our second major bamboo construction project. The first being a community school building in Myitkyina, Kachin State northern Myanmar. Despite their initial reservations about building with earth the community is delighted with their classroom and is now fundraising to build further community schools. We will provide support with the design and technical questions but are so happy to see how the community are taking this forward independently and wish them all the best in providing vital education infrastructure to these oft neglected communities.

As part of our work with Socially Engaged Monastic Schools we conducted Permaculture training during their annual teacher training program. We are honoured to work with such progressive partners who understand the value of holistic education. The teachers were given an introduction to permaculture including practical work making terraced medicinal herb beds and sheet mulching the raised beds which will be use chicken tractor model, and even did a wonderful herb spiral.