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This Year's Fundraising Campaign
This is the fourth of 4 enewsletters to update you on how the LKW orphans are doing and to introduce you to the LTL and Mizoram orphans as we will be sending funds in 2011 to these 3 orphanages. The intent is to raise $5,000 to $6,000 over this May / June period with donations going to each orphanage as needed when MMC goes on mission in 2011. We have raised just about $2000 to date.
More about the Conditions of Burmese Children
Just to recap from the 3rd newsletter, there are approximately 45 - 55 million people living in Burma. About 600,000 people live on the Eastern Burmese border in IDP camps, another 2 million work as migrant workers in Thailand, and there are Burmese refugees along the India/Burma border. The civil war has been in existence for almost 50 years. Madam Aung San Suu Kyi who won the 1990 election has been in exile and continues to be living hope for the Burmese people. The student revolt of the early 1990's sent students fleeing to the jungles of Eastern Burma and into Thailand. Dr. Cynthia Maung was one of these students fleeing Burma. It was about 20 years ago that Dr. Myron Semkuley and his wife Elaine Semkuley started their medical missions to Thailand to help and support the Burmese people.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, Dr. Cynthia Maung and her close assistant Saw Aung Than Wai, a health care worker, administrator and researcher stopped in Calgary in September and gave presentations of the medical and health needs of the Burmese people on the Eastern border of Burma. Mr. Wai's presentation, was on "Advocacy for Child Protection and Education for Burmese Children".
Mr. Wai describes the main issues of the Burmese children impacting their day to day welfare - widespread poverty, high death rates that could be prevented from malaria and diarrhea, malnutrition, the basic rights to education, their rights to live with their family, and their rights to legal status. All horrendous issues that would not be tolerated with one single child in Canada. Much is being done to help Burmese children, and, much needs to be done.
Mr. Wai's Power Point presentation is found on my website. If you would like more information, click on Millennium Commitments link to the Fireball Fundraiser.
Nothing can describe the trauma inflicted upon children who have been uprooted from their villages and who have experienced the horrors of war. The Burmese Orphans Fund with MMC is acknowledging the trauma of Burmese orphaned children. By sending your donations to help and support these children as per each community's needs, we are all, together, doing a small part to help. The photos of these children warm our hearts. As you continue to look at the photos, you'll see deeper into their situation. A situation, unimaginable by most of us.
Understanding the Needs of Each Orphanage
We are waiting to hear about the needs of the LKW and LTL orphanages from Sai Yee Tip who is the Secretary of the Shan Health Committee as well as from Samaritan's Orphanage. For the most part, funds are needed for medical supplies, dorm supplies and caregiver honorariums.
2 Orphans at LKW
Some of the orphans at the Samaritan's Orphanage in Mizoram, India
About MMC
Medical Mercy Canada is a non-denominational registered charity providing medical care, medical training, medical facilities, and, medical supplies to impoverished people in the Ukraine and to Burmese refugees on the borders in Thailand and India.
The Burmese Orphans Fund is a segregated fund where donations go directly to assist orphans as per each community's requirements. All communities are accountable for how funds are used and each community reports to MMC as to how the funds were expended with each mission. For more information on the humanitarian work of MMC visit www.medicalmercycanada.org.
Please Send Your Donation!
Donations can be mailed to Medical Mercy's office at Bay 6, 1216 34 Ave NE, Calgary, T2E 6L9 or to my box address at #668, 440 10816 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, T2J 5N8. Address your donation to Medical Mercy Canada and write on the memo line of the cheque, 'Burmese Orphans Fund'.
Thank you so much!
Eileen Ashmore
More about the Conditions of the Burmese People
In September 2009, Dr. Cynthia Maung and her close assistant Saw Aung Than Wai, a health care worker, administrator and researcher, travelled to Ottawa to discuss the medical and humanitarian needs of the Burmese people with CIDA. There was a possibility that funding might change but CIDA funding was secured.
Dr. Cynthia and Mr. Wai stopped in Calgary and gave presentations of the medical and health needs of the Burmese people on the Eastern border of Burma. Dr. Cynthia titled her presentation "Advocacy for Child Protection and Education for Burmese Orphans - Sept 2009" (4 mb PPFt file). Her presentation highlights:
- Civil war in Burma has been going on almost 50 years with forced labor, forced relocation, torture, sexual violence, extrajudicial killing, destruction of property and food supplies, and land confiscation.
- There are 9 official refugee camps in Thailand housing 150,000 people and more 'unofficial' refugee camps.
- There are 500,000 to 600,000 people living in internally displaced persons (IDP's) camps in Eastern Burma or they are hiding in the jungle.
- There are approximately 2 million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand.
- There are high mortality and morbidity rates due to communicable diseases that are preventable - malaria, diarrhea and HIV/AIDS. There is malnutrition. There is high maternal and high child mortality - 1 in every 12 women who become pregnant, face the risk of dying, and, 1 in every 5 children living on the Eastern Burma border die. And lastly, there are psychological problems arising from extreme trauma - this is a long term humanitarian crisis with a civil war of 50 years being one of the longest in the world.
Through the Mae Tao Clinic much has been done to provide free medical assistance in the region along with building a network of community based organizations. There are approximately 114 clinics, 148 backpack teams and 51 specialized service centres for malaria control and obstetrics emergency services.
There are no photos to show this time that can capture this inhumanity - the facts speak for themselves. The Power Point presentations are found on my website if you would like more information, click on www.ashmore-assoc.com and go to Millennium Committments to link to the Fireball Fundraiser.
Understanding the Needs of Each Orphanage
We are still waiting to hear about the needs of the LKW and LTL orphanages from Sai Yee Tip who is the Secretary of the Shan Health Committee.
For the most part, funds for the LKW orphanage, will be more about providing 'maintenance' funds - perhaps $1,000 to $1,500 if we raise $5,000 to $6,000 with $1,500 going to the LTL orphanage and $2,000 going to the Mizoram orphanage. Whether it is medical supplies, bedding, caregiver honorariums and/for funds to augment a teacher's salary, the funds will be needed and greatly appreciated. If you haven't donated as of yet yet, please do - send $10, send more, send what you can to give a little to children who have so little.
About the Mae Tao Clinic at Mae Sot, Thailand
For the last 20 years, Dr. Myron Semkuley and Mrs. Elaine Semkuley have been leading medical missions to the Eastern Border of Burma and to Dr. Cynthia Maung's Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand. Not only has MMC provided medical assistance and medical training, MMC continues to provide funding to the Blood Services Program at the Mae Tao Clinic. For more information on the Mae Tao Clinic and for information on the conditions of the Burmese people visit their website at www.maetaoclinic.org.
Links Mentioned
Fireball Annual Fundraiser
Locations of the 3 Orphanages
Sometimes it is hard to visualize exactly where MMC goes on mission when they travel to Thailand and to India. Bonnie Emery sent me this map to show the LKW and LTL Internally Displaced Persons' villages. You need to turn the newsletter to read the map.
On the India side, the Mizoram Orphanage is located about 6 to 6.5 hours away from where the new MMC hospital at Zokhawthar in the Mizoram State in India. It is located about 1.5 hours from the capital city of Aizawl where the India MMC mission flys to. (Use Google Maps and find Zokhawthar, India.) See Google Map
Understanding the Needs of Each Orphanage
This year, through Bonnie Emery, we have been in touch with Sai Yee Tip who is the Secretary of the Shan Health Committee. We have not heard back from Sai Yee as of yet with regard to the specific needs of the LKW and LTL orphanages.
For the LKW orphanage, it's more about sending 'maintenance' funds as their needs have been reduced because there are fewer children now and because the older children have moved on - many taking medic training. For the most part, the LKW orphanage will need funds for paying the caregivers, dorm lights and perhaps for any work that needs to be completed with setting up a water system for piping water to the orphanage from the valley.
For the LTL orphans, they may be in need of dorm furniture, mattresses, bedding, etc.
With the Mizoram orphanage, a contact person, NoKap has been asked to find out the needs of the orphanage. Deryl Comeau heard back from NoKap that the House Father of the orphanage was contacting his advisor in Aizawl to put details on paper. They may need dorm furniture, mattresses and bedding. They may need supplies of the school. Or they may need medical supplies or honorariums for caretakers.
Hopefully more about the specific needs of the orphanages in the next newsletter. But, if we don't hear until later in the year, I will send a newsletter to you to update you.
Updated Information on the Mizoram Orphans
To clarify, there are about 20 to 25 mentally and/or physically handicapped adlults and children living at Samaritan's Orphanage and the remaining 75 are orphaned children. Also to clarify from the last newsletter, Dr. Ray successfully diagnosed a child suffering from fetal alchol syndrome not schizophrenic type symptoms with one of the children. We're still learning!!
The Party!
This year there won't be a Fireball Garden party, but on the 28th of May, I will celebrating a 'no age' birthday at La Chaumiere 5 to 6:30/7 for cocktails and dinner afterwards. That's this Friday! Please come to the party to have fun and show your support - just email me if you'd like to come for cocktails and there is room for a few more people at the dinner too. Today the weather doesn't like like it will be beautiful so we will most likely be inside in the West Room of La Chaumiere. Please come and in lieu of a ticket or gift, please donate to the Burmese Orphan's Fund with MMC whether it is $20 or $100 or more, every donation is very much appreciated. (Tax receipts for donations $25 and over are provided by MMC.)
LKW - Loi Kaw Wan Village
Things are looking good at the LKW orphanage - 6 years of donations has greatly helped the village care for their orphans. There are 73 orphans - 13 girls and 37 boys with 13 new 5 year old orphans coming from families in the community who have provided care for them. The orphans are doing well given their circumstances. See my website for more detailing from Suzy Thompson on how the the children are doing and how funds were spent. Excerpts from one of Bonnie Emery's email is posted on the website too.
The dorm lights are working well, the new indoor kitchen not only feeds the orphanage but provides lunch to 258 school children. The system of pipes and tanks for bringing water to the orphanage is underway.
We have done well together to help these children - thank you so much! (For more information:
But there are 2 more orphanages in need of our attention and assistance.
LTL - Loi Tai Lang Orphanage
This year Bonnie & Chester Emery travelled to the village of LTL with Sai Yee Tip and his nephew. Although Dr. Myron & Elaine Semkuley have wanted to visit this village in the past, it was extremely difficult to get to on foot. This year, a roadway was opened up, and, Bonnie, Chester and Sai Yee (& his nephew) travelled by truck. (LTL is about 6 hours from LKW.) There are 300 orphans in this community - 200 boys and 100 girls. A donation has been provided to them for building 5 dorms. Imagine 5 dorms to house 300 children! These villagers are from the Lahu ethnic group. More children come into this camp than at LKW.
Sai Yee Tip is Secretary of the Shan Health Committee and has seen MMC's work with building the Medical Center in LKW and with the work supporting the LKW orphanage and is thinking about LTL to see if we can help here too. More about the needs of these orphans in the next newsletter.
The Mizoram Orphans - Mizoram State, India
Most upsetting is the situation of the Mizoram Orphans at Samaritan's Orphanage on the India side. This is an orphanage for Burmese children and a home for special needs individuals (adults and children) with mental and physical disabilities. There are about 100 mentally and/or physically handicapped children and adults living at Samaritan's Orphanage. The orphanage is run by an ex-priest and the children and adults are treated kindly. There is a school on the premises and 5 teachers work in the school. Little to no financial support is provided for this orphanage / home although the Indian government has given some funds for the school. The orphanage relies on private donors. Deryl and Dr. Ray Comeau head up MMC's India mission and have been providing medical clinics for the last few years for this community. Dr. Ray successfully diagnosed schizophrenic type symptoms with one of the children and now with medication, the child has had a 360 degree turnaround.
There is great need here. All refugees live a subsistent living where everyone in the household must be in the fields to earn enough money to live. With a handicapped child at home, it is not possible for the family to provide for itself as everyone needs to be working. If they have to flee, they can't. The only place for the handicapped child or adult is in an orphanage. More about the needs of this orphanage in the next newsletter.
The Party!
This year there won't be a Fireball Garden party, but on the 28th of May, I will celebrating a 'no age' birthday at La Chaumiere 5 to 6:30/7 for cocktails and dinner afterwards. Please come to the party to have fun and show your support. If you'd like to stay for dinner, please let me know as early as you can and by next Wednesday at the latest. (Each person pays for their own dinner.) If the weather is beautiful, we will be on the patio for the cocktail party. If not we will be inside. Please come and in lieu of a ticket or gift, please donate to the Burmese Orphan's Fund with MMC whether it is $20 or $100 or more, every donation is very much appreciated. (Tax receipts for donations $25 and over are provided by MMC.)
About MMC
All donations go directly to Medical Mercy Canada. MMC is a non-denominational registered charity who have been providing medical care, medical training, medical facilities, and, medical supplies to impoverished people in the Ukraine and to Burmese refugees on the borders in Thailand and India.
The Burmese Orphans Fund is a segregated fund where donations go directly to assisting orphans as per community requirements. All communities are accountable for how funds are use and report to MMC with each mission.
For more information on humanitarian work of MMC
The 7th Annual 2010 Fire Ball Fundraiser!
This year, in May, fundraising will be done by updating you on the needs of the Burmese orphans via 4 e-newsletters. The LKW orphans are doing so very well thanks to the generousity of Calgary donors. This year we are expanding and fundraising for 3 orphanages! Our intent is to raise $6,000 with donations going to each orphanage as needed. The orphanages are LKW, another is a day’s travel time from LKW – LTL, and the 3rd is in India in the Mizoram State – the Samaritan’s Orphanage. All are in need of our attention and care. Each week via e-newsletter, you will receive information on the needs of the children along with photos and all. Please email me your email address to be put in the database if you would like to receive the e-newsletters - ashmore@ashmore-associates.com. Although we will not be having a party, I will be celebrating my birthday on Friday, May 28th with at cocktail party between 5:00 and 6:30 PM. You are very welcome to come – if the weather is good we’ll be in an outside courtyard enjoying the weather at one of my favourite restaurants. A small donation in lieu of a gift is your ticket in!
We will have a few draws/door prizes. If you have a draw or door prize, please call. If you would like to send a donation, please address your cheque to MMC and send to my mailing address at #668, 440 10816 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, AB, T2J 5N8.
Thank you all so very much!
LKW Mission Reports – February 2010
We’ve received 2 reports from LKW – a sweet letter from Suzy Thompson along with an update re funding allocation, and, another sweet email from Emery Honey. Enjoy!
- A Letter from Suzy Thompson
- Orphanage Funding Allocation - 2010
- Excerpts from Emery Honey’s Email
- Photo Gallery
A Letter from Suzy Thompson
February 12th, 2010
Dear Eileen,
Things are looking good in Loi Kaw Wan. The funding report attached will let you know where the money from the last Fire Ball has gone, but I also wanted to write to you about the things going on here.
First, the school has a new principal, Sai (Mr.) Tham Hkur. He's been a teacher in LKW for seven years, but was away last year on compassionate leave. Now that he's back, it's obvious the school is in capable hands. Vice Principal Hsur Kham Leng is also here, though I suspect Principal Tham Hkur will now be your main contact.
The kitchen is finished and it looks beautiful. They have no complaints and I can't see anything wrong with it either.
The Emery's and principal installed seven solar lights in the girls' dormitory and toilet. They provide sufficient night illumination, though since we asked Tham Hkur about specific future funding requests, he suggested more or brighter solar lights would make the dorms bright enough for the kids to do their homework by. This may even allow the dorms to stop using the generator at night.
There are currently 60 orphans; 37 boys and 13 girls, with four of those girls being new arrivals from "inside" Burma. There will also be 13 new five-year-old orphans later this year. Apparently orphans under five are placed with families within the village until they are school aged. As for how many if any orphans will come from Burma, as usual nobody knows.
Tham Hkur may request bunk beds for the girls or the second boys' dormitory, but I don't think it's urgent. Overall, they are all reportedly healthy and well-equipped, and they seem quite happy. I think the staff genuinely care about their charges.
You probably remember that in 2009 they made a proposal for funding in order to pipe water from a natural spring to the school/orphanage compound. Cody looked at their plan and said everything appeared sound, but MMC didn't have the money available while we were there. They made the same proposal this year, so once the pledges (such as for honoraria, water tank expansion, etc.) were covered, Myron decided to let them use the remaining $1,500 of their 2010 funding to start this project. The compound will need about $900 in order to complete the reservoir and pipeline. Personally, I believe the compound needs this independent water system (especially considering the bad feelings in the village created by the school's water use during the height of the dry season).
The compound has some other projects on the go thanks to help from another NGO and the villagers' own initiative. They now have several fish ponds, planted tea, are raising pigs, are building a new nursery school, and thanks to the Emery's will soon plant fruit trees. As the students age, they are also adding a Grade 8 curriculum. The principal expressed some interest in hosting volunteer teachers or teacher trainers (in case you know anyone who may be interested). I may even return to LKW to help with that later this year.
If you have any questions I'm happy to fill you in. You can email me, or of course the Semkuley's or Emery's. I won't be back in Canada until mid-May at the earliest, however I will usually have internet access. I'm also happy to send photos and video of the school and orphanage. Take care, and bye for now!
Suzy Thompson
Orphanage Funding Allocation - 2010
2010 funds: $2,400 Cdn / 72,000 BHT (calculated at 30 BHT per Cdn dollar)
Allocations:
1. Solar Lights
$510 (15,300 BHT) for solar lighting and assoc equipment for girls' dormitory, brought to LKW by MMC, February 2010. Installed in the orphanage's girls' dormitory by MMC & orphanage staff.
2. Orphan Caretakers' Annual Honorariums
Calculated at 500 BHT for the first year of service, plus additional 100 BHT for every subsequent year
Tham Hkur (1st year) | 500 BHT | |
Saw La Moon (2nd year) | 600 BHT | |
Hseng Ain (2nd year) | 600 BHT | |
Myay Seng (2nd year) | 600 BHT | |
Pan Ya (2nd year) | 600 BHT | |
Hsur Kham Leng (3rd year) | 700 BHT | |
Lao Morn (3rd year) | 700 BHT | |
| 4,300 BHT | ($143.33) |
3. First Aid Kit
1 bottle of hydrogen peroxide
2 packages of gauze pads
2 packages of band aids
2 rolls of surgical tape
2 thermometers
1 tube of antibiotic ointment
1 bottle of rubbing alcohol
1 pair of scissors
1 set of tweezers
0 BHT ($0)
MMC stocked the orphanage's first aid kit from donated medical supplies brought to LKW by MMC field volunteers
4. Water tank expansion
| concrete water tank cells at 350 BHT each | 4,200 BHT | ($140) |
5 | bags of cement at 170 BHT each | 850 BHT | ($28.33) |
1 | 5 litre container of concrete setting agent | 135 BHT | ($4.50) |
1 | bag of sand | 350 BHT | ($11.67) |
| | 5,535 | ($184.50) |
5. Orphanage Water Supply
47,045 BHT ($1,568.17)
Funds will be used to build a reservoir attached to a natural spring in a hillside southwest of the school/orphanage compound. Pipes will be laid from the reservoir to the existing water tanks behind the school kitchen. This project should exhaust the available funds.
Notes
Orphanage Water System
This is based on a proposal made by LKW School/Orphanage in 2009. 2009 volunteer Cody Knorr (civil engineer) inspected the water source and system plans, and said their design was sound. However, MMC did not have the funds available (75,000 BHT) for this project.
MMC did not have 75,000 BHT for this project in 2010, but worked with LKW staff to create a modified design for the approximately 47,000 BHT available, which may be expanded in the future.
The compound does need its own water supply. From May to mid-July the region experiences a severe dry season during which staff, students and orphans must carry water from a source on the northwest edge of the village, approximately 1 km. As the compound also shares its water supply with a section of the village, the annual drought focuses ill-will on the school/orphanage.
Solar Lighting
The solar lights are working out well so far. Seven new lights were installed in the girls' dormitory and toilets in 2010. At present the lights provide minimal night lighting for the girls are after the compound generator shuts down at 8:00. Principal Tham Hkur says a few more, or brighter, lights (perhaps 6) would enable the girls to continue with their homework and studying after 8:00.
MMC agreed in principle, suggesting more lights and solar panels would be affordable, especially if MMC could buy storage batteries in Thailand instead of Canada.
On pledges
Donors pledged money for medic training. However, there were no new medic students this year, tuition for last year's medic trainees were paid for from 2009 funds, so there are no medic training expenses for 2010.
Contact information: Loi Kaw Wan Principal Tham Hkur mobile # (66) 083-323-7064
Excerpts from Emery Honey’s Email
LKW is a very beautiful place, so green, warm and the medic's here really look after us. They feed us great food, with rice three times a day with great vegetables, fresh roosted peanuts, some french fries and meat.
The kitchen that MMC funded last year for the School/Orphanage is up and running and it is very beautiful. There are so many Children benefiting from this great gift. The school feeds lunch every day to 258 students and the other two meals for the Orphans. We love visiting the school.
We took the solar lights down to the girls' Dormitory and discussed with the Vice Principal where they should go. The final decision will be made and then we will install them in the dormitory in the next few days. Chester and myself took a walk after supper in the dark to see the solar light in action at the girls dorm. They work beautifully. To see the girls busy studying by these lights was truly amazing. This was far better than we expected, we thought they would only give enough light to get to the wash room and such. So it was great to see the place light up so well. Thank you Eileen for all the hard work you do fundraising for these Children. You have made such a great difference in so many lives. (Note to donors from Eileen - thank you all so much for your donations - we're all working together to get these great results!)
Chester, Suzy & I have been putting on Movie nights here in our little eating hut. The Children loved Star Wars and Up. The Bug movie was also a big hit. We seem to have quite a few movies between us. Suzy brought a hard drive and has quite a collection on it. We may be onto "The Lord of the Rings" tonight.
Chester & Emery are working on a beekeeping project and providing training. Myron is working non-stop as he is the only Doctor in LKW and has quite the work ethic, keeping the medics very busy. Suzy is teaching English, it's great she has the training and has worked teaching English as a second language. She is really good at it and the students are enjoying her classes. (Emery is helping Suzy too.)
Photo Gallery
Here are some photos of the orphanage, school and MMC working away in LKW:
  
  
  
  
  
The 2009 Fire Ball Garden Party!
Once again, we had a lovely Fire Ball Garden party at the Bearspaw Historic School. We raised a little under $3000. What a tremendous feat for 20 people!! Thank you all!!
Funds will go towards completing the ‘inside’ kitchen with utensils & equipment, three sets of lights for the new boys’ dorm, buying water tanks and pipes for delivering water to the orphanage, a Vitamin A kit & de-worming program, and, for the caregivers’ annual honorariums.
Where additional funds are needed is for training for the children who have grown up. 17 of the orphaned children are training to become Community Health Workers and it is estimated that the training costs for each student are about $400 for the year.
If you’d like to help whether it is $25 or $250, we will continue to take donations until Dec 31/09 for 2009 tax receipts. Address your donation to Medical Mercy Canada / Burmese Orphans Fund. Send donations to 668, 440 10816 Macleod Trail SE, T2J 5N8 or to MMC's office or contribute at www.canadahelps.org. (If you donate online, choose Medical Mercy Canada and then select Burmese Project and then indicate in the Instruction Box that you want the funds to go to the Burmese Orphans Fund.) For an update on the mission to Thailand and more information on the orphanage, check MMC's website.
2009 Update
There are now 80 orphaned children at Loi Kaw Wan, Shan State located on the Thai/Burmese border. There are 53 boys and 27 girls. Another 17 boys and girls have left the orphanage and are in training at the LKW Medical Centre to become Community Health Workers. We are proud of them!
Dr. Muriel Solomon examined all of the children and they are all healthy, happy, clean, well and have good healthy teeth. Donations from last year’s Fire Ball completed the new dorm for the boys. The boys are really happy with the bunk beds and bedding. These bunk beds may be the very first real beds that they’ve ever had in their lives. Thank you to a most generous donor for the bunk beds and bedding. And, thank you all for your donations and support for these beautiful children.
“If you would like to learn more about the Burmese orphans, here’s the latest information on the 2009 mission.
How the Fire Ball Garden Party Fundraiser Got Started
Six years ago, 3 women came together to discuss how we could raise funds for a group of orphaned children from Burma living on the Thai/Burmese border in the village of Loi Kwa Wan. Myron and Elaine Semkuley of Medical Mercy Canada had visited the village for the first time in 2001. With their visit, they learned that there were 80 orphaned children ranging in age from 3 years to into the teens. The Burmese community of 2500 people had rounded these little children from the nearby forest - they were found by themselves and in groups of 2 or 3. Maybe their village was burned, and, maybe Mom and Dad were imprisoned or killed or lost themselves. Today there are 92 orphaned boys and girls in the village that has grown to approximately 3500 to 4000 people.
We decided that we wanted to help these children and to provide them with some support for the basic necessities of life. We raised around $2500 in the fall of 2004 that was delivered to the village in the spring or 2005. These funds were for clothing, shoes, food - whatever the community felt they needed. At the time, the children were living in 2 dorms - one for the girls and one for the boys. These 2 dorms were built with funds from a one time donation. They are very basic dorms with the beds being basically a shelf around the room.
A committee that looks after the care of these orphaned children wanted to build another bigger dorm with the thought that there may be a greater need in the future. A 3rd dorm for the orphaned children was started with a $7000 donation and another $7200 was delivered in 2008, to complete the dorm by providing beds and finishing off the kitchen. The dorm is equipped with running water and toilets.
Of the 92 children, there are 56 boys and 36 girls. Last year two children completed their schooling in the village and have received scholarships from another NGO to get training to become teachers! Such wonderful role models they are! This year another 3 children have passed the entrance exam and are moving on with greater education and hope to learn English in the next year. They wrote the sweetest letter of thanks to us. They wished me to "have a good dream every night'. And so I wish the same for you good donors.
All good comes from our generosity of today to help these children, the teachers (the heroes for these children) the guardians living with the children (they are teachers) and the community.
For more information, call Eileen Ashmore at 403 252 0799 or consultation@ashmore-assoc.com, or, Elaine Semkuley of Medical Mercy Canada – 403 251 2535 or semkuley@telusplanet.net.
The 2008 Fire Ball Garden Party!
Thanks to your generosity, we raised a little over $10,000 from the Fire Ball Garden Party - what a tremendous feat for 75 people!! Funds will go towards building the beds and kitchen in the new boy's dorm. Thank you to all!!
We will continue to take donations until Dec 31/08 for 2008 tax receipts to Medical Mercy Canada / Burmese Orphans Fund to 668, 440 10816 Macleod Trail SE, T2J 5N8 or to MMC's office or contribute at www.canadahelps.org. (If you donate online, choose Medical Mercy Canada and then select Burmese Project and then indicate in the Instruction Box that you want the funds to go to the Burmese Orphans Fund.) For an update on the mission to Thailand and more information on the orphanage, check MMC's website at www.medicalmercycanada.org
The Band - High Maintenance
The Silent Auction
The Presentation by Dr. Myron Semkuley and Elaine Semkuley
Some 2008 Photos of the Children
A Special, Special Boy
The Girls Dorm
The New Boy's Dorm in 2007
The New Boy's Dorm in 2008
The Headmistress with 2 Teachers-Caregivers
The Committee In Charge of the Orphans
Call us today at 403 252-0799, e-mail info@ashmore-assoc.com. or through our Contact Us form to find out more.
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