(1/29/2015) Tuesday morning I joined our school partner, May Hta Hla, founder of Helping the Burmese Delta (HTBD), and Kyaw Htoo Aung, local Burmese man of many talents, for the trek down south to EE’s new school. Turns out Kyaw Htoo and I met each other here a couple of years ago. He was introduced to me by one of Bainbridge Island’s retired eye surgeons. Kyaw Htoo provides logistics for the surgeons visiting annually to conduct cataract surgeries for the poor in Mandala

(1/30/2015) Waking to a beautiful sunrise, I’m filled with anticipation. I’m going to Htan Kyun village for EE’s school dedication celebration – woo hoo! My heart is filled with gratitude to our many many donors who made this possible. This is YOUR school too! We’ve all heard ‘it takes a village’ - especially true when constructing a school in these remote villages. All materials must be brought in by boat and strong backs. The school’s concrete feet, raising the lev

(2/2/2015) Meet Daw Khin Nwe Oo. A tall, statuesque mom of six, she sells sticky rice snacks walking throughout her village on the outskirts of Bago. Quick to smile and laugh, her business does well, enabling her two younger children to remain in school. Education is important to Daw Khin. Because of health problems when she was a child, she wasn't able to finish primary school. She wants her children to have good jobs, success, and respect. If she was able to change on

(2/8/2015) Even before you're in the travel-by-boat region, you see extensive farm life in the Delta. Life that will withstand severe weather extremes and serve a function. Take the ducks for instance. These incredibly large flocks are herded like sheep by a duck herder. They enjoy homes with shade, built off the ground with available bathing water. They spend considerable time in the salt water canals, fluttering about. When it's time for them to exit the canal, Mrs. d

(2/10/15) As I have repeatedly been asked this question and pondered this question, I decided to ask the question while in Myanmar. I asked Burmese colleagues, reform leaders, and a human rights officer, expat businesswomen and INGO workers, and a daily editor/journalist. I asked their opinions on the reasons for the escalating violence between Rakhine Muslims and Buddhist monks. I asked how lives based on loving-kindness could extend to this display of hatred. There wa

(2/13/15) While traveling on the east side of the Delta, I attended two school openings with donors and visited a school built by HTBD three years ago. I learned that the government school administrators in this district are not nearly as proactive as the administrators for Htan Kyun (EE’s school). As an example, Htan Kyun has already been allocated 5 teachers even though it hasn’t yet officially received its certification. In comparison, one of these schools is temporari

(3/11/15) Having just returned from 3+ weeks in Myanmar, I am struck by the numerous instances I witnessed of girls and women empowered by education – all resulting in their increased independence, self-confidence, and self-reliance. In today’s world of injustices, human rights abuses, and violence, it was uplifting to learn of positive outcomes and the power of the human spirit. During my visits with Educational Empowerment’s (EE) partners, I interviewed numerous women an

(2/23/16) What a joy to be back in Myanmar with our partners and friends here! Instead of staying in Yangon right away for my week of meetings and appointments, I headed straight up to Bago to visit our village programs there. First stop, the very sweet primary school. Many of these children are orphans, and some are just too poor to attend the government school, which requires payment for supplies and uniforms. They are all beautiful children sharing the universal qualities

(2/25/16) Ma Thet and Lei Lei Win spend many hours together every day sitting on one of their porches rolling cigars. They love to laugh and reminisce about when they were young and growing up in their village. Ma Thet, a widow with five children, took a loan for $70 to help her continue her small cigar business. While this may not seem like much to us, it is enough to allow her to run her cottage industry by herself, which then enables her children to stay in school and no

(3/1/2016) I don’t understand any Burmese beyond “hello” and “thank you”, but I could feel the power of Khet Mar’s words as she spoke to the girls and young women celebrating the Burmese launch of I Am Malala. As my friend translated Khet Mar’s speech for me, she was almost moved to tears by the strength and confidence she was instilling in the listeners. Khet Mar talked of how she started with very little in life but found joy in reading and learning. She told the girls t