Primary School
Pyaw Bwe Village Primary School
Update November 2007:
I am pleased to report that even with the current problems going on in
Yangon, our representative was able to go to Pyaw Bwe Village and be present
when the school was dedicated and given to the village. We have not been
able to get photos transmitted due to the regime's concern with any digital
images leaving the country. When we have the photos, they will be posted
on this site.
Photos from the October 22, 2007 dedication are available - click
here!
Update August 2007:
The economy and government policies in Burma have been so harsh that the
completion of the Pyaw Bwe Village school was held up. Expenses have escalated
along with the unfavorable conversion rate which raised the actual costs.
The government made it extremely hard to secure simple things like the
wood for construction that the project was delayed. The following is the
latest report from our agent in Burma that indicates that the school will
shortly be completed and that the students will be able to use the building
by the fall of 2007.
"The school construction will finish end this month - I think going
well into next month (September 2007). I have discussed with our rep to
tentatively set a date - around 10 to 15 Sept. to hand over the building
to the Education Dept. as we did the 2 previous buildings. I will have
to go to Bagan then. … Of course we will take pictures and send to
you.
School term began in June. Students are still in the monastery. They will
use the school as soon as it is finished. So when we go there it will
be handing over the building and occupation of the premises by the school."
Original Report:
In Bagan, our agent has met with Pyaw Bwe Village elders and the village
Primary School Head Master and teachers. They have also visited the project
site and listened to studies on feasibility of the project. And we have
concluded that should donate the school building based on the following
considerations:
a) There is a real need for the school building for the two villages.
b) Location is right beside the road 8 miles from Bagan or 12 minutes
by car easily accessible by visitors.
c) The 2 villages promised to contribute whatever we asked of them in
terms of labour and collecting sand/gravel, water, etc and any other assistance
they are able to provide. So community participation is assured.
d) Education officials & village elders promised to help with the
building of the school.
The village is situated on the Bagan-Chauk high way road - 8 miles south from Bagan. The school children are from two villages, Pyaw Bwe and Myo Hla. The distance between the two villages is only half mile. The new school site is situated between those two villages beside the road near A-Tu-La-Zi-Na-Man-Aung Pagoda and monastery. There are altogether 215 school children and the school has 1 head master and 4 teachers. Nowadays, the school children have to go to an old monastery called Ohn-Hne Monastery which is 2 miles away south to the villages where they studied in old public rest houses of the monasteries. This is the only government primary school which is housed in the monastery compound in the whole Nyaung U District. Now, the government and the head monk of the monastery asked them to move to a suitable place. The village has acquired the land for the school.
The population of Myo Hla village is 298 and that of Pyaw Bwe village is 1110. Most of the villagers are general farm workers and only 33 household have their own farms. Some young people work in Bagan. Although they are poor they tried to raise funds and bought a farm (190'x230' in size) beside the road between the two villages for the school. But they could not afford to build a school.
Usually, for other schools which are situated in their own villages, the school children go back to their home for lunch at lunch break. As the old school in the monastery is quite far away from the villages, most of the school children have to bring their own lunch box. The children who do not afford the lunch box or the ones who do not have enough time to prepare lunch box could not attend the school.
They have done a soil test for the project. According to the result of soil test the foundation being Black Cotton Soil and undergoing yearly ploughing, it is not suitable to build Brick Building as planned before. Brick Nogging building is suggested instead. All the schools of nearby villages are also Brick Nogging Buildings. The Brick Building is supposed to have cracks sometime later due to foundation sinking. Structure change from Brick Building to Brick Nogging is simple and easy. Concrete slabs will be used for flooring in place of normal cement flooring. It will prevent cracks of the flooring and the other advantage is that we can replace each broken slabs by new one without the need to repair others. As it is a long building having the size 80'x30', the Brick Nogging is more stable than brick building. Now estimate has been underway and report will follow to you when all the necessary estimation is finished. We estimate that it will cost roughly $8,000.
The government approval and government land grant for the school have been made and we are assured by the education authorities that the building could commence mid March so that the building will be finished in time for the new school year starting 1st June.
Make donation checks payable to "Generosity in Action"
and note in the "memo" line "Pyaw Bwe School Burma"
Send donations to:
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
1222 Preservation Park Way
Oakland, CA 94612-1201
Generosity
in Action- travelers
helping in developing countries
Home Page / Projects
/ Tour Operator Guidelines / Tax
Deductibility / About Generosity in Action
/ email GiA