It’s hard to overstate how historic these days are for the people of Myanmar. After decades of hardship, there is now much reason for hope. Cries for freedom and transformation are finally being answered – so it appears. As Myanmar (also known as Burma) moves toward a more democratic society with international economic sanctions easing, GHNI is continuing to branch out into different areas of the country to help poor villages transform themselves.
We would love for you to become a part of this journey! Learn more about how you can help the people of Myanmar rise above the traps of poverty and into sustainable development by clicking here.
Here’s a clip from one of our posts in April that tells you a little more of GHNI’s story in Myanmar, and a ‘person of peace’:
GHNI has been working in Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis killed close to 140,000 people and left many children orphaned in 2008. Though we have primarily been working in Thar Yar Kung through orphan care, this year marks a new turning point. Just this last January, the village of Thar Yar Kung has decided to take steps toward their own development through our Transformation Community Development (TCD) program.
Before GHNI enters a village, we look for what we call a ‘person of peace’. U Than Win is that person for Thar Yar Kung. He is the village president who is loved and respected by his people. Thanks to him, we have been able to work in this community. He is very enthusiastic about seeing development and transformation strengthen his village.
A lot of what GHNI does through TCD is education through knowledge transfer. It is not building something for the sake of building. Any project we do, we want to do in view of long-term sustainability.
Thar Yar Kung is a model village as GHNI looks to replicate its success elsewhere in Myanmar. In July, a GHNI team will be returning in order to help develop the capacity of our local staff and partners to effectively engage with the hidden and hurting peoples of Myanmar.
We are excited by the prospect of branching out to areas of the country that have remained isolated and inaccessible for so long. We invite you to join us in this journey and become a partner and friend to the people of Myanmar. Contact us here to learn how you can “adopt-a-village” or partner with us!
Read more GHNI stories on Myanmar here.
Something we always say around here at GHNI is that development is not about projects, it’s about people. We’d like to introduce you to Boru Tune, one of the many people in the village of Gambella, Kenya, who has seen TCD transform his life. This story comes to you from Hassan, one of our amazing local staff in Gambella.
Boru Tune (pictured above) is 65 years of age and has lived in Gambella for over four decades now. His story is a little different from the other men in the village. Boru never got married, has no children, and had no place to call home. One of his hands was chopped off by bandits who invaded the village many years ago and made away with his few goats and the other livestock in the village.
Boru had no one to turn to for shelter, which is one of the essential basic needs required in the survival of humanity. Since he could not afford even a simple structure, everything in his life seemed unfair to him until he decided to move into the village mosque (pictured below). For four years Boru stayed in the mosque; a place for prayers in the day time turned out to be his comfort zone at night. He never thought having his own house would ever be possible.
Then, in the summer of 2009, a group of GHNI volunteers came to Gambella to bring help and hope to the hidden and hurting people. They did an assessment and identified Boru and several others as homeless. The volunteers took the initiative to work with the community members to build houses for twelve families. Boru benefited in getting a house and thus his dream to own a shelter came true – what he thought was impossible, became possible.
Boru wishes to express his sincere gratefulness to both the GHNI team and volunteers who helped him have his very own home.
