The start of an excellent education

Throughout the country of Burma, the provision of education and healthcare is extremely poor. The standard of teaching in the majority of government run schools is often inadequate and as a result many children drop out of school. Sadly when children become adolescent the numbers not attending school significantly increases which condemns many of them to a life of illiteracy. 

At Stand by Me, we prioritise providing an education for at risk and vulnerable children in the areas we work. In Yangon, one of the largest cities in Burma, we have four homes looking after orphaned and abandoned children. The children we care for were born into extreme poverty and sadly many of them lost their parents in natural disasters. Our homes are safe, loving and happy environments where our kids are thriving thanks to regular meals, medical provision and loving care.

There are 43 children in our homes who are at secondary school age and have to attend the local government school where teaching standards are poor and corruption rife as the school continuously demands ever increasing contributions. We provide additional tuition to help them pass their exams. However, there is the option of a private school that offers an excellent education. It’s particularly difficult to be accepted into the school due to the high achievement levels they require for entrance. And although there are school fees, we want to ensure all of our children have the best education and will do whatever it takes to make this possible. 

This year we are proud that 20 of our children from the children’s village started their academic year at the private school. The children are attending school daily, working hard and learning to pass their national exams. When they reach the end of their education, we are confident they will achieve good results and reach their full potential.