WATER FOR MAESANOW AND PU MAO VILLAGES

WATER FOR MAESANOW AND PU MAO VILLAGES

And here we come to the tenth chapter of Stories from another world!

Today we introduce the story of U Hsam, the former leader of Maesanow village in Myanmar, who tells us about the new water system built with the support of our staff. Thanks to this network of pipes, water come directly from the spring and the village no longer as to worry about summer drought.

“My name is U Hsam and I’m the former leader of Maesanow village. In 2016, the Mitta Foundation visited our village and provided sunflower seeds to two young farmers; on this occasion, we heard about New Humanity’s activities for the first time and we later contacted them for the water scarcity problem. Rain has been our main source of water  for as long as I remember but in recent years, due to drought, we had to look for a natural source of water in order to have it all year round.

Between 2009 and 2010 we connected the water channel from Ohnaum to our village with a pipe network. Ohnaum village also shared water with Kyaungkha (located higher than our village). Due to scarce rainfall and forest degradation, every year we had to face water scarcity; in fact, the water flow from the source in Ohnaum was decreasing more and more!

Thanks to the support from NHI, we were assisted in water procurement. We built a connection to a water canal in 2020 and the organization installed water pumping with a solar-powered system in May 2021. I would like to point out the availability of water before and after receiving this help: we had previously determined that 5 buckets of water from Ohnaum was the daily requirement-the quota-for a family. In my family, however, we usually go to our farm early in the morning, return in the evening, and during the day we couldn’t collect our quota, consequently we had to go at night. Thanks to the new water system, we no longer have to worry about going to take the 5 buckets of water at night, as we always find it in abundance in the cisterns.

The organization provided us with a large water tank to store the surplus and six smaller tanks to distribute water in the village. Every villager can now easily get water at every time, without having to be careful about the quota. 

As a member of the water management committee, I asked the village to use water carefully and to keep the water system in good conditions so it can last for many years. We understood that it’s our water and the sustainability of the system relies on us: as soon as the pipes required care, we repaired them. 

We are grateful to NHI for this precious help and we hope it can become a big organization that can support communities in agricolture, education, health, water and sanitation for long.”

In the mountain village of Pu Mao, New Humanity also carried out an intervention similar to the one just told by U Hsam: 200 villagers had to use as much water as they could in non-drought periods, but they remained without water from February to June. After NHI’s intervention in 2016, an efficient water distribution and storage system was installed equipped with pipes, a large tank and three smaller ones in different points of the village. This garantees water even in summer, when drought makes everything more difficult. In addition, similar to the awareness raising activities done by U Hsam for its villagers, NHI also conducted trainings in Pu Mao about proper use of water. 

We are very proud of the work done by our staff to implement these water systems, fundamental for the daily water needs of households.

We sincerely thank all those who always support us and enable us in turn to help so many villages in need.

CHIT, A TENACITY THAT MOVES

CHIT, A TENACITY THAT MOVES

The ninth chapter of the STORIES OF THE OTHER WORLD is very moving: Chit was born with gastroschisis and a club foot, was abandoned by his mother and, according to the doctors, he’d never have been able to walk… but today he’s able to eat, drink and walk! A true miracle! We are curious to find out all that he can learn in the coming years!

“Hi, I am Chit Phoo Ngone, I am 12 years old and I was born with gastroschisis and club foot. My mum gave birth to me when she was only 16, I have a younger sister and I lived in Ho Nar village until I was 9 years old. I was diagnosed with a physical and mental disability and the doctors said that I would never be able to walk. My mother could no longer take care of me so she abandoned me at the Infant Jesus Centre in Phayar Phyu, Taunggyi.

I was 3 years old when I met the staff of New Humanity. They supported me and my family with basic necessities, assistance in obtaining the necessary documents, piglets and physiotherapy. They even allowed me to have surgery on my foot.

When I arrived at the Child Jesus Centre, I couldn’t walk or do any daily activities, I couldn’t stand on my own and understand what was being said to me.

Today after two years I have learnt to eat from my plate independently, I can sit and stand up unaided, walk on my own and even climb stairs with help. I can pick up a bottle of water and drink it, I understand what I’m asked to do and I have learnt to wash my clothes.

I’m grateful to New Humanity for the support and care they have given me. With all the improvements I’ve had in just two years, I can’t wait to see what I can do in the future“.

Chit Phoo Ngone’s story gives us a lot of hope and is very moving. In two years, he went from being totally disabled to being independent in some essential movements.

We sincerely thank our staff, whose daily commitment makes miracles happen, the don Gnocchi foundation, which has enabled us to make a great step forward in our service to disabled people and all those who support us. It’s also thanks to you that Chit and all the other children are able to improve their lives!

UPDATES FROM YANGON

UPDATES FROM YANGON

New Humanity International supports and helps more than 3000 families of the outskirts of Yangon: many of them are in very vulnerable conditions, without money, with no jobs or aid, even more worsened by the climate of instability in which the country has been living for two years now; moreover, living in slums they don’t have access to any kind of service (infrastructure, schools, hospitals and so on).

NHI carried out an analysis of the situation in the contexts where we were already operating, with the support of Total Energies: the aim was to understand which people were in conditions of extreme poverty, reaching a target of 3604 households including 5245 women and girls. 

Next, we began the distribution of basic necessities, such as food, drinking water, money and essential materials fro living in dignity, such as blankets and towels. In the first month of 2023, through the widespread distribution with the support of Total Energies, we reached 450 families, while in the month of February we helped 2409 households. 

Our efforts are always aimed at improving yhe wellbeing of the people who need it most, so knowing their stories and seeing that what we do is really helping them motivates us to do better and better!

In this case, U Myint and his family’s story is an inspiration to never stop walking besides the most fragile people: U Myint lives in the suburbs of Yangon with his wife, 4 children and 3 grandchildren. The family’s only source of income comes from the eldest daughter who sells fish since her father lost his job as a tea seller as a result of the pandemic. U Myint’s wife suffers from some serious illnesses for which she needs periocal medical treatment, but money is scarce as it’s barely enough to support the family.

New Humanity and Total Energies gave them two essential goods packages containing water, nutritious food, blankets and towels for when the wife goes to the hospital for treatment. This way, the family won’t have to worry about finding food to survive for the next period.

It’s thanks to these stories of hope that we will always continue our job, trying not to leave anyone alone!

ZIN MAR, A MOTHER’S EMOTION

ZIN MAR, A MOTHER’S EMOTION

Here is the eighth chapter of our Stories from antoher world. Today we present Zin Mar, who sent her son to our kindergarten in Insein and cried with joy to see her son’s progress!

Zin Mar Aye, the mother of Myat Bhone Khant, a 5 year old boy who attends the Golden Beehive in Insein dumping site, tells us how much her son has improved since he started attending our centre. Before, he had aggressive attitudes even with them and didn’t take care of his hygiene, while now he has become kind and polite and brushes his teeth morning and evening!

“My name is Zin Mar Aye, I’m 28 years old and I’m the mother of Myat Bhone Khant.

What can I say about Golden Beehive Daycare? I love everything, my joy can’t be expressed in words. Since my son is pre-school age, I couldn’t send him to schools in other districts because I would have had to pay a lot. My financial situation don’t allow me to pay for a school.

On the first day of class, I was thrilled! I cried with joy to see my son able to attend school even though I don’t have the money to pay for it!

The teachers are attentive and understand our needs. In fact, my son had started attending school in the morning, but I soon realised that it wasn’t right for him. At first, he had difficulty getting along with other children, especially the younger ones. Therefore, after a discussion with the teachers, we decided to move him to the afternoon class. It was the best choice we made and I’m very happy about it! My son had the opportunity to learn how to relate and behave better.

In the school, the teachers teach with empathy, which is strange for teachers, I had never seen anything like that in other schools. They teach the children to grow up healthy by adopting the right behaviour. My gratitude goes to the teachers and New Humanity for building this beautiful school!

My son previously didn’t behave well at home, he did not respect us as parents. He was very mischievous, but after he started attending school, he became more serene and respectful. For example, now he often tells me: “If I see an ant killed, I will tell the teacher about you, mum!”. Before, he was not interested in things, he liked to kill insects, but now at school he has learnt that it is important to take care of things and animals. According to our faith it’s bad to kill insects, and I always told him that… now finally, thanks to school, he has understood that.

We realise that his behaviour has improved a lot and this also helps us to think about the way we do things, how we relate to each other.

Other behaviours are slowly becoming part of our son’s routine: at school, he has learnt that he has to greet people, use nice words and answer the phone politely. Every day, before going to bed and when he gets up in the morning, he brushes his teeth. Before, he had many cavities in his teeth because he never brushed them. The teachers taught him how to brush his teeth and we also had a parents’ meeting with a dentist who explained to us how to take optimal care of our oral hygiene.

My son is starting to write words and simple sentences. The other day, when a neighbour picked up a book of poems and started reading them, Myat Bhone Khant said he knew some of them. In fact, poems and fairy tales are read in school.

This is the first time I have seen such a nice school, and you don’t have to pay to attend it! I’m really happy that my son is part of this reality!

Unfortunately, I can’t participate in all the activities for parents offered by the school because of my work schedule. But we are immensely grateful for providing this important service to our community!”

Surely the lessons Myat Bhone is learning will serve him well in becoming an aware and caring adult, and he and all his friends can bring a beautiful change in the lives of many people.

Many thanks to our teachers and our psychologist coordinator for the passion and commitment with which they run the classes at the Golden Beehive!

THANDAR HTAY, DISCOVERING A PASSION

THANDAR HTAY, DISCOVERING A PASSION

Today we present the story of Thandar Htay, the sixth chapter of our Stories from the Other World column. Thandar teaches kindergarten children and has learnt a new way of approaching others with empathy and kindness.

“My name is Thandar Htay, I am a university student and an assistant teacher at the Golden Beehive Daycare Centre.

This is my first work experience. I work with two other teachers in the mornings and there are 32 children aged 3 and 4 in our class. What I have seen in these months of experience with New Humanity has made me realise that this school brings many advantages: first of all, the children in the neighbourhood can go to school instead of spending time out in the street, with nowhere to stay. Now they have a safe place to go!

Secondly, it has also helped us teachers, before I worked at Daycare I didn’t really like taking care of the children, but after I started working here, spending time with them and looking after them, I love this job! It doesn’t matter if I don’t feel well, it makes me happy to see them! I also feel more comfortable relating not only with the children, but also with the parents: I have learnt to manage these relationships.

Since this is my first time in a workplace, I have learnt how to communicate with my colleagues and we work together as equals, we understand each other and cooperate. For example, we help and support each other; it’s a pleasure to work with them and I’m grateful that we can do it together without competing with each other.

I want to thank Mr José, our coordinator who taught us so many things, and New Humanity for opening this project for the children and the teachers. I really appreciate their help. Thank you also for always showing respect to young people like me.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude for our centre: I am very happy because I’m growing in responsibility, in dialogue with parents, in social relationships. I am grateful for the educational support and everything else.”

The Golden Beehive seems like a really nice place where children can grow up in a protected environment and learn all the social skills they will need to cope with the world when they grow up, skills that are even more necessary in a difficult context like Myanmar.

Thanks once again to our staff and our coordinator José Magro for their commitment and passion for these little friends!

MAY THET KHINE, A DREAM COME TRUE

MAY THET KHINE, A DREAM COME TRUE

Here is the fifth chapter of the “STORIES OF THE OTHER WORLD”: May Thet! A 17 years old girl who, thanks to her determination, not only managed to continue her studies in an environment where it seemed almost impossible, but also managed to fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher!

“I’m May Thet Khine and I am 17 years old. I am originally from Yangon city and later moved to Dala in the suburbs. My family is poor and we struggle with everyday things, but we work hard to stand on ourself.
I have wanted to become a teacher since I was 7 years old. I really like teaching and I like to speak English. I gave up my dream because schools were closed for more than a year because of Covid, and then after the coup it was no longer possible to go to school. I could no longer imagine my future.

One day I learnt about a good college in our neighbourhood, it was “Dayamit”. I studied different subjects at Dayamit. All my teachers are well qualified, they’re nice and kind in teaching to young people. Before I came to Dayamit I didn’t even know how to use a computer and I didn’t know what LCCI was. But now I am happy to say that I have learnt a lot of things that will help me find a qualified job.


I admire the staff of New Humanity and its project in our neighbourhood, Thamada Kanchay, because Dala is an inconvenient place and all the other organisations would look for a place where there is clean water, electricity and good roads to move around and make money, but this is not the spirit of Dayamit. Dayamit accompanies us, supports the young people who have been affected by the current situation in the country, but who still have many dreams for their future. 

Our director Wai Yan (Barnabas) is very kind to the students and teachers. I had many opportunities at the Dayamit Centre, which made my dream come true. Mr. Wai Yan, after I participated in the centre’s basic courses, proposed me to teach English to children. Now, thanks to this experience, I have become an English teacher. I found a job at the Korean Mission Centre as an English teacher and was asked to attend a teacher training course. I don’t know how to express my gratitude to New Humanity for this opportunity. I receive a salary, I can help my mother and family, I can provide for myself.

Everything is incredible… I never thought such a dream would come true for me and my family! Everything I have learnt from Dayamit has helped me to improve my life.

I really want to say thank you so much to New Humanity International for the Dayamit Community College project in Dala.

I will try my best to help others in turn, as Dayamit has taught us.”

And we say thank you to May Thet, for her beautiful testimony of hope in a context where hope seems to have been wiped out for two years now…

Thank you and all the Dayamit staff who made it possible for you to fulfil your dream!