Myanmar Church builds up kids’ self-confidence

Karuna Pathein in Myanmar is organizing a series of “child participation days” for parishes still recovering from Cyclone Nargis.

Up to 100 children have joined the program each month in five selected villages of Pathein diocese. Karuna Pathein is Pathein diocese’s social service agency.

“The program aims to uplift the children physically and spiritually through games, songs, dances and competitions,” explained, Jerome, 26, a diocesan child protection officer.

“Our main intention is to help children be brave and dare to speak with others, to have unity and mutual understanding among themselves and to become future leaders,” he said.

Peter Soe Min Oo, another Karuna staff member who deals with psycho-social problems, added that the program uses methods of meditation, reflection and imagination as part of the trauma healing process.

“We let the children draw pictures to get in touch with their own feelings and we then spend time talking with them individually so that we can know their difficulties,” Min Oo said.

Prize giving and nutritional support are also included in the program, which participants say they enjoy.

“I never dreamed of celebrating Child Participation Day in my village,” said 14-year-old dance competition winner Htet Htet Lwin.

U Pein 54, a Buddhist farmer from the Irrawaddy delta, said that villagers are happy to see their children becoming less introverted and enjoying the program.

The monthly program will continue until December 2010.

Farmers reap benefits from organic farming

Farmers in Nargis-affected areas in the Irrawaddy Delta are enjoying positive growth by making and using natural fertilizers following a training course run by Karuna Myanmar Social Services (KMSS).

The social service agency’s intention is to make farmers understand that by using natural fertilizers instead of chemical ones, they can preserve the fertility and richness of the soil, said John Ngwe, a KMSS trainer.

“This helps the environment increases their yield, and improves their quality of life” he said.

“We showed them how to make natural fertilizers from cheap and readily available materials that anyone can get hold of,” he added.

The Catholic agency invited 40 farmers from Nargis-affected areas and trained them in organic farming methods back in June. It also selected fields for cultivation in 21 villages, said Raymond Soe Lay, a Karuna Pathein Social Service worker.

Farmers are already seeing positive results.

“All my betel plants are growing well after I started adopting all the methods I was taught,” said U Aung Naing, a Buddhist farmer from Aima.

“Some of my friends are using old methods and a lot of their crops have died,” he said.

Making natural fertilizers doesn’t’ take long and is very good for the soil, allowing it to get more out of it, he added.

One farmer says he’s conducting his own experiment before he’s fully convinced.

“I’m using a small plot to grow organic crops and I’ll compare what I get there with what I’m growing on the rest of my land,” said John Bosco Myo Win.

Karuna says it intends to give further training, not only in Nargis affected areas, but also to farmers from 10 selected villages in Pathein, Myaungmya and Hinthada parishes from Sept 27 to 30.

Myanmar diocese expands youth program

A Myanmar diocese has expanded a youth volunteer program providing teaching assistants in remote villages by also including young Buddhists and Baptists.

The program began in 2002, but only Catholics were invited to join the program at first, said Matthew Kyaw Swa Lwin, an education project officer in Pathein diocese.

However, the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis exposed a greater need for volunteers so we decided to encourage Buddhists and Baptists to join the program, he said.

“Our main aim is to provide primary education among children living in poverty,” said Kyaw Swa Lwin.

The diocese has sent 100 volunteers this year to serve with government appointed teachers.

The volunteers all attended a one month course, where they learned different teaching methods and ways to attract children to attend lessons, Lwin said.

“It’s a great feeling teaching children, despite the fact I receive no salary,” said Than Than Moe, a Buddhist volunteer teacher.

Than Than 22, is working in Phyangone, a small village along with two government-appointed teachers. The relationship with the villagers is going well and they arrange food and lodging for the volunteers, she said.

About 100 children are studying in the village, but the greatest challenge is getting parents to send them to school, she said.

Most parents here never encourage their children, Than Than added.

The expansion of the project has also seen an attempt to introduce a new teaching method.

Volunteers have instructed community teachers to try and use the Child Centered Approach, Lwin said.

However, many are still using the old Teaching Center Method, he said.

The CCA is a new method so it will take time for teachers to get used to it, he added.