"At their wit’s end..." That's where many parents are at today in remote areas of Myanmar. Due to lack of money for education and food as a result of Covid19, parents feel compelled to give their children up to Buddhist monks and boarding schools. There the children are given shelter, education, and food. The parents must choose whether their children eat little to no food or whether their children are in the hands of a boarding school where they are not taught their own religious beliefs. Sometimes it's difficult to ever get their children home again. This is a huge dilemma, especially for Christians and other minorities.
We heard this last week from Dang, a Burmese friend who works in remote areas.
So, the need is now increasing, not only in the slums of the cities but also in remote areas. No work, no government support, no money for education and food for your children. That is the situation in Myanmar currently!
The stay-at-home order is still valid in Myanmar. Besides that, the country, like many other countries, is still locked to foreigners. Unfortunately, we still are not allowed to go and will probably have to wait for a vaccine.
Until recently, the lack of money and food was mostly in the cities, especially in the slums, because residents do not usually have a plot of land to grow food. Dang said that people in remote areas, outside the big cities, are now also having a hard time.
They do have plots of land to grow fruit and vegetables for their families, but they have too little to live on and there is not much left to sell. The result is that many in the rural areas have no money to support themselves and to buy rice, their daily food.
The minority groups, including Christians and Muslims, have an even more difficult time because it is very hard for them to find a job. These minority groups are currently even less fortunate than they already were.
Fortunately, there is also good news…
In the meantime, here in the Netherlands we sold our house and moved to a holiday home, waiting for the moment when we can return to Myanmar. Quite a big transition, but we are getting used to it and love our new little place.
The construction of our house in Myanmar is progressing well, although there is no rush at this time. We received some nice videos of how the roof is made of reed and how the builders walk on the thin rafters. They are enthusiastic and are getting new energy to take on this job. However, construction is currently on hold because the stay-at-home order means that no one is allowed to travel and materials like glass cannot be delivered. And, as described, people are just too busy trying to survive.
The airport in Falam is finished! As there are mountains in Chin State, the airport is built on the top of a mountain ridge. Quite an accomplishment. In future, this will save us a 22 hours bus ride, an overnight stay, and another 6 hours on the bus! Test flights have already taken place, but they are still waiting with the formal opening because air traffic has also been affected by all travel restrictions - all commercial flights across the country have been canceled due to corona. As soon as the travel restrictions are lifted, the opening will take place with great ceremony. It would be nice if we could walk around the country again at that moment and maybe join the ceremony.
On November 8 there were elections for a new government. It is only the second time in the country's history that there have been elections. 2015 saw the first elections for a civilian government, in the years prior the country was ruled by the military. Just as in 2015, the elections were won by the NLD, a party that strives for democracy in the country. Reforms are slow and the military still has a heavy foothold. But even though the changes are slow, it looks like they will continue. And though from a western perspective there still is a lot to do, most people are happy with the course that is being taken in the country at the moment.
It is almost Christmas. Last year we were in Myanmar just before Christmas and experienced this special atmosphere. A Christian Christmas is celebrated in this Buddhist country. The streets and buildings are illuminated with lights, there is music, starting December 1st, and a mix of both Christian and non-Christian Christmas music will be heard from the shops at this point. Unfortunately, most people don't understand the contents and topics of the Christmas songs and it seems as if they don’t care - as long as it's a nice tune and it’s in English it sounds good, they seem to think; the English language is popular. "Frosty the Snowman" sounds very wonderful in warm Asia...
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