To the Orphanage...

Dear Friends and Family,

We hope all of you are doing well. Todd and I are fine, and as yesterday we finally went on a highly anticipated community service trip to visit 3 orphanages. I thought I would share this wonderful trip with you.

All year Todd has worked together with the high school music teacher, Michael, running the community service club, comprised of both middle school and high school students. The club worked hard on fundraising, as well as collecting donations from students and parents at all three schools (elementary, middle, and high school). While they had a few hiccups along the way (when they were unable to help the school's neighbors as they had intended), they raised about 1,220,000 Kyat (over 950 dollars)! With this money, they contacted an organization called the Myanmar Compassion Project, who put them in contact with 3 orphanages who needed help. Armed with a list of supplies, the students fanned out across Yangon, and found many of the items requested. That done, they put together gift bags for each child at the orphanages, and then they were ready to go out into the country for a visit.

The morning of the big day, we had some last minute snags, as the bicycles they had procured had some structural problems, but with the help of some local Myanmar people, they were fixed and we started our journey 1 1/2 hours out of Yangon to the first orphanage, Olive Garden (yes, sounds similar to a certain restaurant...).

Well this orphanage was quite an eye opener. After turning down a narrow dirt road where we bumped along, we finally saw a bamboo longhouse in the distance, with children running out of it to meet us. This was their home (see picture above). With around 20 children living there, along with 4 or 5 adults, it was a flimsy shack, with a dirt floor and elevated inside where the kids slept and where we met together with them as a group. There was no shade anywhere, and what was a dry cracked desert obviously becomes a huge muddy flood in the rainy season. None of us had ever really seen anything like it. The children and the adults, however, were filled with joy on our arrival, so happy, so grateful for the items we brought. They sang for us, we gave them our gifts, and their gratitude was so vast it brought tears to many of our eyes. We played some games, and sat together for a snack of bananas and tea that they made for us. Soon we had to say our goodbyes with warm hugs, knowing we helped bring joy to their home.

The next orphanage we visited was also quite rustic, although with more shade and materials than the first. They grew roses as a way to make an income, and music was a big part of their lives (our donated guitar brought big cheers!). We had quite an adventure on our way to the 3rd one, as we got lost along strange bumpy footpaths that we were driving a bus over (Myanmar is truly a different world). Here we donated something from Todd's father, along with the club's donations, as he donated a 120 volt battery and step-up transformer, so that they can have power (something people in Myanmar often don't have).

The students really got a lot out of this trip. At every orphanage there were hugs, songs, games, gifts, and laughter. They saw children who were living very different lives to theirs, and they were definitely affected by it. Todd and Michael's hope is that they will be inspired by these experiences and continue giving into their adult lives. These people were so needy, so grateful for the simplest gift, it was truly a humbling experience for us all.

These were some of the items donated by the club: blankets, pens, pencils, notebooks, rulers, Shan Bags, plastic mats for sleeping, umbrellas, raincoats, school uniforms, 6 bicycles, kitchen utensils, plates, bowls, cups, raincoats, clocks and watches, snacks and candies.

We would like to continue contributing to these orphanages, as some of them have some big expenses, and so little. If any of you are interested in helping with this, send me an email and let me know. Even a little can go far.

Lots of love to all,

love, Meghan & Todd