Schools for Burma

The future of Burma is in the hands of her people and if we are going to bring about change this can only be achieved through an investment in education.

In fact, during the 1962-88 Socialist Period there was a very high standard of education in Burma and most villages had a primary school and towns a high school. However in recent times these facilities have been outgrown as the poplulation has rapidly expanded and cash less available to maintain these schools. As a result many have become derelict or far to small for village needs.

Pandaw  have been assisting in the development of new schools in the Upper Burma area for over ten years now. Some of the schools have been built with donations from  passengers, individually or collectively, others from company funds and corporate donors.

In addition to building the schools we assist the teachers, supply furniture and teaching aids and offer funds for the maintenance of the fabric.

Once built the schools are formally handed over to the local education department who then register them officially and provide teachers.

In fact building a school is a great all round community project as there is a great 'trickle down' benefit to all the community - carpenters, builders, labourers, etc, all benefit from the construction work.

The villagers who benefit from these schools are imensely proud of them and when the schools are formally opened a holiday is declared with a village feast, dancing and processions.

Typically each school can accommodate approx 250 kids with about 5 teachers. So far all the Pandaw schools have been at primary level. At the moment these schools, finished in teak, are costing about US$12,000 each.

Each build is closely monitored by a team of Pandaw who work pro bono. Budgets are worked out in conjunction with a committee of the village headman, monks and teachers and funds paid out gradually as each stage of construction reaches completion.

In the past two years our main concentration of acivity has been the Thri Island which is situated south west of Pagan. Here we found a real need as the five villages there were in a dire state of poverty and due to its remoteness the few schools they had there had been allowed to decay. Many of our crew come from these villages so we enjoy an excellent rapport with the people there.

To date the following schools have been completed:

2001 Yandabo

2005 Theingone

2006 Taung Ba Lu

2007 Thiri Island (1)

2008 Thiri Island (2)

2008 Thiri Island (3)

2009 Ywe Le Aung

2010 Ye Ywar

WORK IN PROGRESS - YE YWAR SCHOOL BUDGET $15,000

At present, Pandaw is in the process of building a new school at Ye Ywar village, situated near the Tan-chi taung Mountain on the west bank of the Irrawaddy opposite Pagan.  Though located a few kilometers from the five star hotels of Pagan,the village  is a scene of extreme poverty and desolation. Pandaw, with a budget of US$15,000 began construction late 2009 of a new building that will be able to hold 200 pupils and 5 teachers. These projects are great for stimulating the local economy and giving the people of the village a civic centre to be proud of. When we build a Pandaw school we also sponsor furnishings, teaching materials and subsidise the teachers salaries, as regular teaching salaries would barely be enough to feed themselves. This is our eight Pandaw school. If anyone would like to help sponsor this please contact Paul Strachan. Please see the pictures below for the current progress of this project.