In the delta of Burma, there are hundreds of villages.
Typical Village School
Most villages have a Primary School. However if students wants to continue their education and attend Middle School and High School, they will have to live in a larger town or city.
Karen Pastor with his church
The Karen leaders like this village pastor want their young people to have the best education possible but they have very limited resources. So the Baptist leaders have developed two programs. One is where they choose the very brightest and motivated students who scored high on the annual government tests from each of sixty five villages in the Pathein Myaungmya area and bring them to Pathein where they live in a hostel so they can attend Middle School (6th, 7th & 8th Grade) and later, High School (9th, 10th. & 11th Grade).
The other program is where they take the brightest and best from each of their thirty five mission fields--one from each field. Both groups are under the watch care of the Pathein Myaungmya Sgaw Karen Baptist Association. Members of the Baptist churches tutor these youth to help them overcome their weak Primary School education.
Families contribute most of the cost of this program. For Middle school students the cost is 280,000 kyats ($400) and six baskets of rice. However the three Kwe Lwe Orphanage students and some Nargis Hurricane survivors need full scholarships. One student comes from the Myo mission field.
They have created large rooms with desks for them to study in because the hostels have limited study areas.
At the end of the 11th Grade (10th Standard) they take a national matriculation test. Nationwide only 14% pass this test the first time. But these chosen youth from villages and mission fields achieve an astonishing 80% pass rate according to the Baptist Association statistics.
The total cost of sponsoring one of these bright students is $50 per year which is used to help students whose family can not quite cover their total costs.
The Baptist leaders would like to expand this program when money and space become available. Also many want to go on to university if scholarships can be found for them.
Here are two students who need support:
Naw Pale' Htoo. Grade 10. Born 1/1/1997. (Often Karens do not know their date of birth so list January 1st.) Her parents died when she was very young and she was raised by her grandparents who are now 77 and 76. It is hard for them to support her now. She promises to do her very best and wants to be a teacher (lecturer). Her recommendation reads: "Naw Pale' Htoo is a high flyer. She makes all out attempt in her studying. In 2011 academic year she stands first in June and July tests. So she deserves to get supporting because she is very clever." "Very Clever is the Karen way of saying "bright and hard working."
Saw Kyaw Zin Aung. Born 6/5/93. Attending Technological University. His parents are farmers but after Cyclone Nargis, both become weak and unhealthy and cannot work anymore. So he needs help. His recommendation reads, "Saw Kyaw Zin Aung is ambitious and he is hard working. In 2011 he pass the Matriculation Exam with 2 distinctions--Biology and Math.
