The country of Burma is now officially known as Myanmar, the capital Rangoon is Yangon; however as most westerners struggle to absorb these changes we will stay with the original names. Burma is a nation made up of 65% Burman and 35% ethnic hill tribes of which the Shan, Karen, Mon, Chin and Rakhaing are the most numerous.
Burma has been ruled by a military junta since 1962. In 1988 the generals agreed to free elections, which were won overwhelmingly by Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy, however the junta nullified the elections and imposed a new epoch of authoritarianism, which still remains today.
Over the last forty years the government has systematically fought the ethnic minority hill tribes, who until recent ceasefires had been involved in bloody skirmishes with government forces. This is often the time when the children get split from their parents.
There are literally thousands of Burmese children on the streets and homeless without food, clothes or shelter, many live on rubbish tips particularly around Mandalay. These children often end up by being cajoled into drug carrying, child labour or prostitution, many being smuggled into Thailand for the sex trade in Bangkok and other major tourist resorts. If they are lucky they find their way to a monastery or monastic home where they are possibly fed two rice meals a day. If they are luckier still they find a monastic home that can afford to supply the school uniform that allows them to attend a state school or alternatively the monastery may have it’s own school and teachers. Their beds are usually a wooden floor and they may be given a blanket during cold weather. Imagine your small child without parents, living in rags on two rice meals a day and sleeping on a wooden floor!
It cannot be emphasised enough how important these monastic homes are in catching and supporting displaced children. The Love a child foundation supports several homes in Burma. We try to fund better living accommodation, healthier food, school uniform and books, new clothes and general healthcare. Some of this can be achieved through sponsorship schemes for the children, but only where there is good administrative facilities. In other situations it is necessary to try to support these children from our general funds. There is also a huge need to improve the infrastructure. Many homes have poor water supply, no electricity and the buildings are in poor condition. Malaria and Dengue fever are rife in the monsoon season.
It is one big battle for these children to survive.
We have details of both boys and girls available for sponsorship. In return for your sponsorship you will receive a photograph of your child, a profile and regular updates on the child’s progress. We are particularly keen where possible to promote ties between a sponsor’s family and the sponsored children, thus we can develop communications between children of the same age. One of our future projects is to install computers in the children's homes so that contact between children and sponsor is easier.
New sponsors are urgently needed. The current cost for sponsoring a child for one year is Euros 324.00 (£216.00)
Alternatively you can sponsor a child on a monthly basis by direct debit - The cost is 27.00 euros (£18.00) per month.
To sponsor a child with Love a Child Foundation, CLICK HERE
The strict policy of the foundation is to be certain that all donations go directly to support the children and therefore great care is taken to vet all the people who might be responsible for the foundations funds. This takes patience and time, which of course the children don´t have. The foundation was set up as a non profit making organisation. We currently send all funds directly to each project and therefore directly to the children. The only costs not absorbed are bank charges and a small amount for printing, advertising and some travel expenses. All other costs are funded by John Margetson. However, our donors should be aware that as the foundation grows, it will probably be necessary to offset some expenses against our income. A copy of our annual report and accounts are available to anyone who would like to receive them.
To read more about the Love a Child Foundation projects in Burma and India: www.loveachildfoundation.com
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