Sprouting Seeds Learning Centre

Dear Family, Friends and Supporters of Sprouting Seeds Learning Centre,

Thanks to all of your support we are now entering our busiest period for the café with a renewed sense of confidence. We took the time during the rainy period to further improve the interior of the café and are delighted with the natural look and feel of the space. Pine tables and the earthen counter blend beautifully to create a calming environment for weary travellers and locals alike to rest and enjoy our culinary delights! We also took the time to experiment with new ice cream flavours and a range of exciting baked goods including …… , the response to which have been fantastic!

As many of you know the café supports the Sprouting Seeds Learning Centre which is a collaborative environment in which young people can join us and learn what it takes to run a small business. We work to empower individuals and groups such as monastic schools to set up social enterprises of their own. We are therefore delighted to announce that our interns Hani and Char Tae who have spent the last nine months with us have launched their own venture here in Kalaw. Their business Clover is a shop for traditional and innovative products such as bags, cards and natural soap all made by differently abled individuals who struggle to find employment. The girls have done an amazing job and are providing a much needed market for these beautiful products. We wish them all the best with their venture and hope to see it go from strength to strength.

In October we hosted a small group of young people from all over Myanmar who were meeting in Kalaw and Pyin Oo Lwin to learn about social enterprise. Exposure visits like this are key in helping educate young people about the power of business to do good and, to inspire them to believe in their potential to make a difference. The group was incredibly engaging and are interested in starting a café of their own so we gave them a baking lesson.

We look forward to a busy few months for the café and thank you all again for your support. It’s a been a long journey but the pace of change in Myanmar is now accelerating and we are excited to be part of a movement for a stronger more democratic and equal Myanmar.