Sponsoring young people at St. Anthony’s girls’ boarding house in Taungoo
Sponsored children: 6 of 15
Ensuring access to education at a difficult time
Taungoo is located in the Bago region north of Yangon; it is still part of the central plain but already at the edge of the Karen mountains to the east. The town is crossed by the SitTaung River, which overflows every year, causing floods that affect many families.
Taungoo is a small town, but it draws in the entire population of the eastern mountains. It is the only point of access for these villages to the rest of the country, so despite its small size, it is strategic because it is a crossing point for the population living in the mountains.
Public schools, which are frowned upon by the village population, have been closed and teachers have left or gone on strike, making access to education very limited in the surrounding countryside, forcing the most motivated families to send their children to Taungoo. Furthermore, regular conflicts near the villages create an uncertain and tense climate for parents and children, who live in fear and uncertainty. Coming to study in a boarding school in the city allows them to be safe and study peacefully.
Sponsoring children affected by conflict
In response to this, Children of the Mekong has started a sponsorship programme which aims to combat school dropout among young people in the villages around Taungoo and to welcome young people into the homes so that they can continue their education.
Children of the Mekong aims to finance boarding fees, study costs, school supplies, evening classes if necessary, hygiene and clothing needs, and all basic needs (particularly medical expenses) for the poorest girls taken in by the home. For these sponsored children, the sponsorship will not be distributed but used to accommodate them free of charge at the home.
The girls are accommodated in three separate locations: Saint Anthony, Saint Joseph and Saint John. A total of 75 girls are taken in.
The local manager
Sister Anastasia Bi is a member of the Reparations Sisters, an Italian congregation that arrived in Myanmar in 1895. The charism of the congregation is to live as closely as possible to the poor and those in need and to work for the education of young people.
The sisters welcome a number of children into their homes to provide them with a safe place in conflict zones and enable them to continue their education.
Sister Anastasia is assisted by two other sisters in managing the programme, who are ready to take on the administrative tasks involved in running a sponsorship programme: following up with young people and families, asking them to write three times a year and reporting on the use of funds.
Thanks to your help and support, the sponsored child will be able to continue their education and have access to an appropriate learning environment. This way, they will have better chances of making their dreams come true and facilitate their path towards a brighter future in a time of unrest.
