HELP DISABLED/DEAF BURMESE CHILDREN; MARY CHAPMAN INSTITUTE

PASDB’s SUPPORT TO MARY CHAPMAN INSTITUTE, WHO TEACHES TO DEAF CHILDREN

Within the framework of our educational program ‘The Schoolbag of Hope’, PASDB supports since January 2014 the Mary Chapman Institute of Yangon, one of the three only specialized schools in Burma, which educates deaf children and teaches them the sign language.

The Mary Chapman Institute, which also trains teachers in learning this language, currently greets around 400 children and gets no help from the Burmese government. It is the oldest establishment of its kind in Burma and, although under the responsibility of the Anglican Burmese Church, it greets Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and Hindu children.

The institute keeps going thanks to private donations, a beauty salon, the selling of homely handicraft products and Shiatsu massages given by students who have completed their studies and are trained in this technique.

The Mary Chapman Institute needs are important, due to the constant yearly progression of the number of deaf children coming from all regions of Burma, and the desire of leaders to improve the living conditions of the school community.

PASDB has already bring for example the following helps:

a second end photocopying machine (Xerox), since the current one was very old and has been mended many times. This material is vital for the teachers and the children, since the sign language is essentially taught through visual means (paper, drawings, board etc.). Cost: 800 euros

special moulds for the confection of bars of soap manufactured in the institute and sold at the school shop. Total cost: 400 euros;

a linoleum for the girls' dormitory. Cost: 200 euros;

a wall clock, 2 showcases, stickers, 2 irons, 1 wagon, all at a cost of 512 euros;

one laptop and one projector for 600 euros.

Etc.

We also funded teachers training and a program to help sexually abused school girls (total: 1,700 euros).

For all those purchases, Mary Chapman obviously provides invoices.

In addition, in direct contact with Mary Chapman School, we pay a portion of the cost of school transportation (see photos of the minibus below) of 17 deaf and hard of hearing children, living with their families in slums in the suburb of Lhaing Thar. Yar.

This assistance amounts to €100 per month and includes the rental of a minibus and the salary of a driver.

We met the mothers and they admitted that this sum is a source of great distress for them, since it represents a large part of their income. Without this transport, the children couldn’t be schooled; yet most of these families left their home regions so that their children might be admitted at the Mary Chapman Institute.

Since January 2014, we have offered approximately 8,800 USD to Mary Chapman!

We hope to increase this regular help to the institute.

IF YOU WISH TO SUPPORT US ON THAT PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO ENLARGE THEM