Welcome to of Pyinnyar Pankhin
The Photo history of Pyinnyar Pankhin (Myanaung)
Travelling To 2017
Strike while the iron’s hot
This is the story of of Pyinnyar Pankhin.
Pyinnyar Pankhin grabs the opportunities anyway if they rise up. We will not miss any chance to help children. Actually, talking about helping others in word is cheap but doing in real is expensive as giving this kind of educational aid to children needs enough fund. Doing what with no fund?
Keep Waiting for something or someone that might come?
No way! We do believe that it wastes time waiting for others’ help. the idea of let’s raise fund come up in our mind.
In Myanaung, there is a traditional Tawateinthar Pagoda festival held each September. Many parts of lower Myanmar join this festival and Myanaung is alive with teeming crowd. Committee members, students, volunteers and their parents have an idea to raise fund for summer classes by selling food and soft drink.
Surprisingly, students involved this activity very actively. Parents said “They stay at home like masters, help- ing nothing to parents but only doing homework. Amazingly, the children are making vigorous effort to finish selling food for their center, Pyinnyar Pankhin English Training Center. We love it really”.
A morning of fund raising days, there was a big problem. Pyinnyar Pankhin Committee ordered a number of special rice packages using large amount of money because that day was special day, full moon day of Thadinkyat. Business idea is more rice packages for more crowd.
On that day, a donor offered a large number of rice packages to the people who come to the festival. Therefore, no many people came to the Pyinnyar Pankhin Food Selling Shop to buy rice package. Special profit seems to turn to special loss. It was pretty much impossible to keep the rice package for long hours since the food would go rotten and smelly.
The children started “Increasing sale project” at once which sells rice packages door to door and person to person explaining everything “Please help us by buying these rice package. Now we are raising fund for our own education”. “This is not only for us but for the coming generation of our city as well.” “Please help us.”
Children were rushed and worried about what the rice packages cannot be finished selling them off. That made some people sad and they bought those. Actually they are making hay while the sun shines.
Talent wins games but teamwork and intelligence win championships. (Michael Jordan)
Teachers, bank staff, parents, committee members left everything behind and came to Pyinnyar Pankhin’s Fund-Raise. Traditionally many Myanmar girls and women are rather inconvenient for selling something in public area but in here, astonishingly, they all are extremely zealous in selling.
What is more, they developed public awareness by elucidating what and why they are doing this. That does not necessarily mean there was no difficulty at all but a lot. Unity, teamwork, eagerness and philanthropic attitude made the problems smaller and smaller until there left nothing.
Everyone in this group did not seek personal benefit but only welfare of others, children present and coming generations. How can we know they are so? They did not accept any social offering such as food for lunch, tea for breakfast, drinking water and soft drink.
When Pyinnyar Pankhin English Training Center 5 they were hungry or thirsty, they bought everything from their own selling and had it. Who else can be exemplars? This fundraising could support Pyinnyar Pankhin English Training Center with six hundred thousand Kyats (US $ 440 as current exchange rate is 1365 Ks per dollar)
Travelling To December in 2016 or Very Pyinnyar Pankhin Festival
“Those who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.”
We believe so and would do so. For that reason, Pyinnyar Pankhin committee decided that Pyinnyar Pankhin Festival would be held as a new adventure in Myanaung. That was a fresh idea that no one has ever tried. Hopefully, Pyinnyar Pankhin can have funds from this festival for summer classes.
We need to in- crease cen- ter fund for papers, student IDs, expense of excursion trips, health supporting items such as personal water bottle, if possible, center uniform and hat in coming classes. Basically we must have these items for the students.
To support students in what they need, we had this idea. The period of Pyinnyar Pankhin festival was one week (16.12 .2016 -20.12. 2016).
In the Pyinnyar Pankhin Festival, traditional cane ball competition, music show, circus, book fare, other shops. Pannyar Pankhin Committee members, bookish guild called “Oketara Kyaisin” and volunteers cleaned the Tarwateinthar Pagoda’s compound where Pyinnyar Pankhin Festival would take place. They prepared for the festival.
Committee Members were wrestled with organizing marketing men, vendors, hawkers, market stall men, singers, musicians, officers in different offices, pagoda trustees, police, cane ball players and even security men.
The new festival started with new excitement, new worry, new uncertainty and new proudness. Pyinnyar Pankhin had two shops, that is, a bookstall and a food stall. Pyinnayr Pankhin students, bank staff, committee members, volunteers helped with selling books and foods.
The most teeming place in the festival was Pyinnayr Pankhin’s bookstall. Almost all the time there were full of people including children.When the children were inside the bookstall hearing
“Do you have ……book?” “I want to read this kind of book, Um….”, “Which book do you recommend for ……subject”, “I need another book. So, Can I order here?” even this kind of one “It is too expensive. Can you reduce the price? some bargained. We love it.
(Actually, all of the book in the bookstall had already been discounted by up to 10 percent rather than original price), no one noticed but we knew ourselves that our pleasure was beyond measure. We want children to stay with books rather than social media such as Facebook, Viber and Line etc.
We all felt that we have already made large profit from this fund-raising since the children came into the bookstall. You might not hear us but we said to ourselves “We did it!” “We did it” as we could link children with reading.
Truly, these days, in Myanmar no many children read other books rather than school books. For example, many are not sure that U Thant, Burmese, 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations was a Burmese. If you have the word “Really?” about it, many children become coward and have no more answer. What awful it is!!!
Some people came and offered some money for the classes in the summer. Also, some singers offered some when they knew that this was all about fund-raising for free summer classes. In that way, many people helped Pyinnyar Pankhin in different way to stay alive in the city.
However, that does not necessarily mean Pyinnyar Pankhin could make profits from this fund-raising. Actually, Pyinnyar Pankhin lost much money for this fund-raising because we spent a lot of money in different parts to become this festival. Yet, the helping of many people were rather sufficient to cover all the spend at the festival.
Do we have regret for what we did? No, not at all!!! That is because we all tried our best for the children. Maybe we are not happy but behind the unhappiness, we have smile, actually a big smile for what, now, many children have books with them and they would/will read.
“The phoenix must burn to emerge.” – Janet Fitch
Strongly, we still believe that that was worthwhile activity to the future of children. There is no reason at all to step back for this failure but we are getting stronger and stronger in the hearts keeping this:
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” (Robert F. Kennedy)
as one of our motto. Yet, say quietly in the mind “Good by T-shirt, hat and water bottle” due to current financial situation.
Travelling to January in
Presummer class in Pyinnyar Pankhin
Traditionally, we Myanmar people believe in omen. With this sing, what will happen in the future is expected. If so, we had a good omen. There is Sandina who is a German, helper to have volunteers for Pyinyar Pankhin English Training Center in Myanaung. She loves Myanmar very much.
When she was in Myanmar, she was a volun- teer in the monastery in Hmawbi as well. Almost all the time she said was I really love Myanmar. Unfortunately, a pick-pocket stole important documents on the bus including passport, air tickets, all the money she had. That brought absolute disgraces Myan- mar as she loves Myanmar very much and came to Myanmar for volunteer work. She went to the police station and asked for a help.
Police took information they need. That’s it, nothing more. I was very angry with police. She said “they are police” “that is usual no matter where but if they try hard to get back her things, that is unusual.”
I thought she had nothing left including love to Myanmar people. But I was wrong. She still love Myanmar and said that she will be back Myammar as a volunteer later. She campaigned for Pyinnyar pankhin at the university in Germany.
As result, her two friends; Meria and Mirja joined and they came Myanaung to volunteer to do teaching English in Pyinnyar pankhin. It has no doubt that this is a good omen for Pyinnyar Pankhin with big dream in small town.
Myanaung had already fall in love with volunteers even before them arrive Myanaung. When they really arrive in person, Myanaungers were completely infatuated with volunteers. For volunteers, they said that this is first time to teach in another country and this is so exciting.
Myanaungers said that this is first time to learn English from the teachers in another country and this so exciting. Both sides were thrilled. Teachers and students’ happiness is Pyinnyar Pankhin’s value.
Two volunteers from Germany were Meria and Mirja. They arrived February 19, at 4:40. They were happy to be there and students and so were students and their parents. Everyone were in the happiness-circle with a big smile.
In previous academic years, Pyinnyar Pankhin had no Student ID Card to identify who or what but this academic year, we plan that all students must hold Student ID card with them in order to know who they are. We did so with expectation of enlargement of self-confidence and inspiration letting them see who they are.
We know that long termed motivation is one of key roles for success. This was not self-advertisement at all. We notice that students are proudly happy with holding card. I am completely sure that that stir them up.
In Naychi High School, Pyinnyar Pankhin started classes with two volunteers. Although some students finished their final exam, some grades such as Grade 4, Grade 8 and Grade 10 were still taking their final exam.
However, the grade 4,8,10 students joined Pyinnyar Pankhin classes as soon as they finished their exam.
Pyinnyar Pankhin English Training Centers are not only in one town, Myanaung but near another town, Kyankhin as well. So, students were from both towns.
There were two classes; morning class, joined most of them were state school students who were rich in free time and evening class, signed up with were undergraduate or postgraduate students, bank staff, civi servants whose morning and afternoon times are given for their work and responsibility and some eager state school students.
In this Pyinnyar Pankhin Classes, one good weakness is both of volunteers cannot speak and understand Myanmar. What one hundred percent sure was they wouldn’t speak and explain any Myanmar but English only. There was no doubt that students would develop listening skill and speaking as well.
In the open class room, students were encouraged to speak up first and later, let them participate in the activities by saying something. We perceived that most of students were too shy to speak up and their participation in the class activities was almost no at first.
This problem is everywhere in Myanmar, not only in Pyinnyar Pankhin as that is the education system giveonly facts, not motivation and grit. We need to remedy this problem.
Yet, in Pyinnyar Pankhin, almost all students keenly took part in class activities later and became active students. These were so because students’ listening skills, motivation, awareness and contentment rose up gradually, we believe.
On holidays, students, committee members took two volunteer teachers to the well-known places in the region. Different cultures have value in different ways. We can learn many things from their cultures and so they can, we think.
They were taken to Akauk Taung Pagoda, Buddhist Temple, Hindu Temple, church, mosque, palm forest road, pottery village, and Naychi Market. Meals are served with reginal vegetable and traditional food. Volunteer teachers looked tired in the hot weather as they are from cold country.
They have never complained about it. They spent much money to come Myanmar and teach the classes in Pyinnyar Pankhin and gave teaching in the hot weather of Myanmar, completely different from their weather.
We all understood and see their kind heart and all we can give them back is nothing but we all really love them with all our heart. How much we loved them was realized only at the farewell party, children had small smile on the face but big cry in the heart with a slight child-expectation of “they will be back next year”.
As children they don’t know that uncertain is certain. Finally, volunteers said “good bye” and so did all from Myanaung. At the farewell party, they sang a song for their students and students sang songs for their teachers. After the party, all became quiet and there was no even single sound but everyone talked noisily insight.
As Pyinnyar Pankhin believes that life has many parts, not only gaining the knowledge from the school book”, we always encourage students to try to have different kinds of skills. The the belief was implemented by shooting a video, named “The story of a blossom” and singing a song of Pyinnyar Pankhin.
Pyinnyar Pankhin family from both of cities; Myanaung and Kyinkhin worked together to video and sing and done successfully. The volunteer teachers became a part of the Pyinnyar Pankhin video. This short movie can be seen on the page of Pyinnyar Pankhin and YouTube “ The story of a blossom” and it hit 26k on the Page of Pyinyar Pankhin already.
The story is as following;
There are Pyinnyar Pankhin students. They are playing and learning English in the school happily. In the other part of Myanaung, there are two children who approach the city rubbish heap to collect salable odds and ends. The weather is hot in the summer but their worry is hotter inside.
They have to pay 5000 Ks each day to their father. If failed to do so, they get beaten; getting one beaten for each thousand short. Their father is an alcoholic. They sell what they got and today they get 300 Ks.
At home, the father is drinking alcohol and say with angry face;
Father: “You baster got only three thousands?”
“Come on! this will help you to get five thousand later”.
He gives them beaten two times for two thousand short. (the children accept it)
On the way to the garbage heap, they always halt and gaze into the Pyinnyar Pankhin English Training Center Compound, staring what students are playing, learning, eating and so on. They want to be there to learn like them, seriously. However, they both feel that this situation is too far from their status.
So, they do not speak up even between them. The brother and sister are afraid of everything: uniform, knowledge and even using proper terms as a student. Indeed, stop and staring at the students is a big adventure for them. When the students notice what they are gazing, they always run away.
One day, they cannot help themselves feeling to learn there.
Brother: Sis, I want to go to the school.
Sis: Yes, brother, so do I but we don’t have any money to go to school.
Brother: Yes, we have no money but we can have some if we save.
Sis: yes, let’ save the money.
They decide that they will save money for learning. They work harder. At home, they do not pay any money to their father but take beating. After a few days, they have some money and bruises too. They come to Pyinnyar Pankhin and watching students and teachers, they stay tentatively outside. They have no new cloth.
The bruises can be seen in the ragged cloth. When the teacher sees them, go and ask
Teacher: “How can I help you, Kids? (with sympathetic voice)
Boy: “We want to go to school.”
Girl: “we want to learn here.”
Boy: “We saved money and have this much. (old bill). How many days can we study here for this money?”
Teacher: (Sympathetic smile). “No, No, my kids. You don’t need to pay any money if you study here.” Welcome to Pyinnyar Pankhin ! Come on!
The brother and sister are very happy and jump for happiness. The teacher takes them into the school and another teacher sees bruises on the back and legs.
Teacher: “What happened to your backs and legs?” “Who did that to you?”
Boy: Our father did. we got beaten but these are nothing unusual. We always get beaten if we fail to give five thousand Ks.
Girl: “Yes, we saved money to learn here. We did not give him money. That’s why we got punishment.”
The teachers give nursing and give them two Pyinnyar Pankhin T-shirts. They are so thrilled. After the class, the teachers go to the children’s father together with children. The father welcome teachers. The teachers explain that the children come to school to learn and ask him to let them come to school.
Sis: I am sorry, Dad, I am really sorry. I lied to you. I actually got money but had saved the money secretly to go to school. I lied to you. This is the money I kept with me. I deserve punishment.
Brother: No, No, Dad. That was my idea. I deserve the punishment. Please punish only me. Dad.
Father: (Tearing down on the cheek) No, No, you both are decent son and daughter. Only your dad is bad. Go ahead, Go to the school, my sweet hearts. From now on, I will go to work. You both must go to school.
Two children embrace tightly their father with tear on the cheeks.
In the school, Pyinnyar Pankhin Students welcome them warmly and treat them as best friends.
Student: Did you get permission to come here?
Boy: Yes, we did.
Girl: I am so thrilled to be a student.
Student: Welcome to Pyinnyar pankhin! The two brother and sister play together with other students and learn
there too.
Lyrics for Pyinnayr Pankhin Song
flower filled street in the young sun light
good children with warm hearts
joined together as one, looking like young leaves, gently swaying in the breeze.
Just as signs mark summers’ change to rainy season,
So also students’ strivings portend the realization of their dreams
Providing refuge for the offspring in the future
Nourishing kids like big clouds and heavy rains nourish the earth
To have brighter lives for evermore
we, the new generation, hand and hand as a group
moving forward to a better nation) 2
With love and kindness
Pyinnyar Pankhin will show us the flower-filled way
Leading straight to our goals,
With joyful hearts for the chance we have
Pyinnyar Pankhin Song can be watched at
Youtube and www.pyinnyarpankhin.com: The New version of Phyinyar Pankhin Song
The story can be watched at
Youtube and www.pyinnyarpankhin.com; The story of a bloosom
Good bye “Pre summer class” and Hello “Summer class”
After pre summer classes, all got ready for summer classes. The period was middle of March to middle of May. Every year, Pyinnyar Pankhin had started classes at once after students registered.
However, in this year, to introduce internarial educational system in the city and as well, to know the students’ English skill level, the placement test was held in the center before we started the classes. After the test, we divided three levels:
level I (both languages, Myanmar and English can be used),
level II, (both languages, Myanmar and English can be used),
and level III (only English Language can be used) depending on their skills.
We did that because we need serious students rather frivolous and lighthearted ones. There was an IELTS class (only English Language can be used) in Pyinnyar Pankhin and it was only for high language skill level students and for those who was almost ready to take IELTS test. New ID with class level were made for all students.
Although Pyinnyar Pankhin had had expectation of offering good-quality water bottle to all students, uniform with Pyinnyar Pankhin logo and Pyinnyar Pankhin hat, in reality that the education budget was not enough to do so.
In the kind of social or educational help, that went with territory, we completely accepted it. Yes, it was right that we had no enough money but we did have young eager mind to study and to teach. That is all we need.
Therefore, we got started our classes with serious hearts. Teachers were Ven.Neminda, Daw Kyawt k Thwai, Daw Khin Chan Myae and Daw Myet Thet Htet Tun. Sponsors offered a kind of juice at break each day and needed it too because the weather was very hot.
Actually, the juice made students relaxed and re- freshed, gave not only physical energy but mental one as well. Yet, only clean and healthy food and soft drink were allowed to offer and to eat in the center. That was done to be familiar with healthy habit.
Tourists from the different countries have visited Myanaung and they came by Pyinnyar Pankhin every so often and chewed the fat with students. The students had opportunities to practice their spoken English. Tourists and students talked and even jawed at times, sang songs together and played games happily. It was look like they were on the happy island. Students were active.
We need it too. Only if they are so, we can trustworthily bequeath Myanmar’s future into their able hand. A group from Austria asked “Can we offer some money to the class?”. “Yes, you can”. They organized and offered 7270 Ks and $ 21.
A student asked an inconvenient question to a tourist “You tourists don’t want to tell your real age.
Why? Now I am twelve years old”
Teachers and tourist guide shocked at her question and it was too late to stop. The man said “Um…. your age is good and okay to tell others but our age is old and it is not okay to tell our age.”.
He gave her thumb up and whispered “Don’t ask age of my friends!”.
Children are lovely as nothing hides inside the heart.
Some wanted to teach English to the students and they did. Some told stories and shared their experience with students how to learn English. Tourists were happy and so were students.
Now they came here and later Pyinnyar Pankhin students will go there to learn. Now they came here to teach and later students will go there to teach. It is believed that this is beginning of a big link.
The story with illustration was given to the students to understand how to manage the time usefully and how to grab the opportunities………….
Once upon a time. A rich man had four sons. As he grew old, he decided that he would give his all property to the son who values the wealth he had earned. Letting them gather together, they were given five grains of rice each and said
“I will ask for these grains at the end of five years and I would give my all property to the son who would value these grains the most.”
a) First son threw away the grains, thinking “Only five grains of rice are nothing he can do and I will ask them to again five years later”.
b) Second son cooked and ate all, thinking “eating means we value the grains and father will give them again if I ask.”
c) Third son preserved the grains in a silver and kept it at home “Offering them to God and Praying to make him rich.”
d) Forth son sowed these grains and cultivated these in the backyard.
He grew into crops during the harvest season and did the same way for five years. Finally, he had a large paddy field with full rice paddies.
At the end of five years, the father gave all of his property to forth son.
Now you have grains of opportunity in your hand. What are you going to with it? You decide yourself! Answer yourself the question of “How much does it value?”.
Some students feel that learning is just boring. What I am going to do with the knowledge. They are first kind of son in the story.
“This class is nothing special, I think we can have this kind of class in the future.”. I am not free now. I will do it later. They are second type of son.
Some come, just come and study just in case it is needed but they have a huge expectation from their teeny weeny effort such as winning scholarships of great university in US or UK. Those students are third type of son.
Some students believe that this is an opportunity to make ourselves better. They stay with present prospect and learn everything available in the class. They are fourth kind of son and the one we want and need here.
I want you to be fourth type of son and try to be so.
On the way to Kanyin Dam and ‘two fingers up’ gesture
Pyinnyar Pankhin wants students to link the knowledge in the books to the real life. We feel that knowledge without application is almost nothing. Excursion is a part of our education, given or done normally. Actually, gone on an excursion to trip means we are teaching subjects to the students outside the class. Before they know, students have already learned something about.
Teachers tell something about the place and work that students are going to study. This kind of trip is not only to have fun but to learn as well.
As first trip, Kanyin dam which is far about two hours from Myanaung, was chosen and Pyinnyar Pankhin students, teachers, committee members and parents, in short name, we called “Pyinnyar Pankhin Family” joined the trip. The dam is located in Ingapu Township, Ayeyarwady Region.
On the way to dam, some were eager, some were excited and some were drowsy as “Student Right”, some sang songs on their seat look like they are on the stage but they all must obeyed the rules under this circumstances for their own safety.
Engineers, Senior officers and staff of Kanyin Dam welcomed Pyinnyar Pankhin group with open arms. They offered soft drinks and seats for all and explained about their projects with detail of when it was started, why and how they did, what are the benefits of doing that project and in the future or when students take their places, what kind of expectation from this explaining etc.
Students wrote some notes down for their assignments. And then, they took Pyinnyar Pankhhin Group to some important places in their project and gave some more enlightening there. Students studied, took photos and selfie with two fingers up, does every girl in Asia.
The sign with two fingers up is originally called “V-sign” which mean “Victory” and later some translate it as “Peace too. Actually, it is international symbol for victory and a wellknown prime minister of United Kingdom, Winston Churchill (1874-1965) has popularized it as a sign of victory all over theworld.
No matter what and when, in these days, many girls in Asia use that gesture for cuteness when they get photos taken or take selfie. The excursion took almost one day and done successfully. Therefore, “V-signed gesture” was correct.
Trace the books in the library
We had a day out to Yangon with expectation of many more books would be in the Pyinnyar Pankhi Library. An unexpected trip made expected books. Expected books will entirely give unexpected benefits. This is what we believe. A hope was started in the conversation.
“Many English books can get free!” Ko Min Min (Style Video and Picture) said.
“Really? In Myanmar? How possible!”
The information astonished me. I know English Books are rather dear and Pyinnyar Pankhin itself cannot
afford many books even though we are aware of those are the root of education.
In Bangkok, mostly I go to the used- book shop for the books rather than book shop due to the price as I can get even five or six used books for the equal price of one new book.
There are about 400 English Books in the Pyinnyar Pankhin Library. Some of them are we copied May Swan Sint Ye’s books and some were bought from Bangkok.
Most of them are donation of two American teachers; Dawn Mary who visited Pyinnyar Pankhin at the very beginning and Ann Melville who hold their student’s educational performant very dear, had already arranged to visit Pyinnyar Pankhin but unfortunatelly, left Myanmar imeditatly for her father’s health problem. That is the urgent news of books in Pyinnyar Pankhin library.
Ko Min Min added more gen on it by saying specifically that Ministry of Information and Communication and Free Funeral Service Society (FFSS), known as U Kyaw Thu’s society offer English Books to the societies in really need.
So, quick decision was made and we betook ourselves to Yangon. In the book store of Ministry of Information and Communication, many books especially just reference books rather than story books for the children were available but we don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. About a hundred books were requested from an officer and did get what we asked for. We moved forward Free Funeral Service and made a call for charity of books, as many as possible.
They offered story books and some other work books, which are very useful. And then about a potentially helpful aids from different societies were been kept discussing including how to develop education and whose help with.
What we understood was we are not alone and some other people are ready to help the children’s education. We felt that we can see through the heart of U Kyaw Thu Society’s people and understand the true meaning of “altruism”.
Game and activities in Pyinnyar Pankhin
“We can’t deny how clever they are!!” “We can’t turn down how active they are!!”. “We can’t keep quiets how creative they are!!!”. These are what teachers say to themselves about the students’ performant.
That is right. We need to dig student’s talent out by let them playing games or any other ways that can help. Sometimes, in the Pyinnyar Pankhin classes, teachers encourage students to join in the game so that they have fun, become active students, more friendly one another and love learning.
Learning only the facts in the class is indeed boring and halt enthusiasm in the long run. That’s why we are obliged to students for new activities such playing games, telling stories, singing songs and so on.
Some might see as they are playing, actually not. They are teaching. Playing game means teachers teach students by lying. No matter what and who, learning something from doing something is much better leaning nothing in the opened books. So, let’s start doing activities.
Excursion trip to A Forest Meditaion Center and Khawar Dam
Pyinnyar Pannkhin Students, teachers, parents made another excursion trip to Ayeyeikmon Forest Mediation Center, Khawar Dam in Bago reagion, Zeebingwinn Village Teak Forest and Zeebingwinn Zoo for the several purposes.
Ayekeikmom Mediation Center welcomed us with open arms and offered traditional food, Monthinkhar, and showed its functions and explained what was it had been done. We brought students here to introduce peace and Dhamma and to be familiar with inner calmness.
The excursion group kept going to Khawar Dam, closed to the Meditation Center. Officers and staffs from the dam welcomed all and offered soft drink and food. Students enjoyed them happily. Teachers explained students the reasons why a dam is built; such as
- Not enough water for people during the summer droughts
- Farmers have trouble growing food without enough irrigation water
- During drought periods, for some countries, the Birdseye River is not deep enough for ships to cross to bring valuable goods to Thirsty County (but this Khawar Dam cannot be counted as that type of dam)
- Flash floods ruin houses and stores and to prevent it
- For the power plan
and what are negative effects for building a dam such as
- Killing fish
- Changing the climate
- Displacing people
- Changing the surface of the earth etc.
An officer in the dam explicated more details of their dam’s function, when and how it was built and so forth.
On the way back to Myanaung, the excursion group went a teak forest and zoo in Zeebinwinn Village. The teak forest refreshed us and it helped students to fall in love with nature and value environment.
Sounding emotionally “I love this place! Wow!
This place makes me refreshed! Amazing, I want to stay here!” is conformation of they fall in love with nature.
They need it as they are the vanguards of the nation, progress and democracy. With the heart of loving nature, they will harm environment and hopefully even they will protect it.
They loved animals and fed them. They might not know that they silently study how to love animals. They really loved that place.
“Come on! it is time to go back. It is late! Everyone must get in the car! Come on, let’s go!!
Students were forcefully brought back to the cars as they wanted to stay for a long time. One-day excursion trip was done, successfully and happily.
The last excursion trip was to Nankathu Dam, located in Ingapu township, Ayeyarwady Region and Gawan (laterite) Ancient city in the same township.
As others, officers and stuff from the dam welcomed excursion-group warmly, offered food and drinking water and explained their project. The weather was so hot and the soft drink the dam-people offered made us refreshed.
Under such hot weather, students were watched carefully not to swim in the lake. It was one of high restrictions in the trip as teachers need to balance fan and danger.
Actually, children are the most valuable things people have at home, in school and even in the nation. So, how could we care less about the danger of our students.
The trip to Gawan Ancient City
The excursion–group was eager to keep going Gawan ancient City. It is wide about four square miles and discovered in February, 2009 by U Pyinnyar Thiri, Kyatpyin Forest meditation temple, Ingapu Township, finding a proper place for the building memorial stupa of Peinhnai Kyaung Sayadaw, whose death body has still not damaged for over a hundred years.
The ancient city is full of interesting. Some laterite lines are about 40 feet high and some are about 70 feed high. On the right side of Kyatpyin Forest meditation temple, laterite line with carved room for the Buddha statues are so long.
It will take over one and half hour on foot to end. On the left side of the temple, it will take almost one and half hour. Historians said that according to archeological evidences, this city was probably built between third-sixth century B.C.
It traced back to the period between the Buddha’s live time and King Asoka’s live time. Gawan (laterite) city place has become safe area only in 1970. In it, laterite well, laterite stairs, ancient letters carved in the laterite and some other evidences can trace back the same century.
The time came for unity-test. No student was told “Get out of the car, come one! Let’s push”. If we say so, it looks like students were given questions before the exam and they will cheat in the exam.
It traced back to the period between the Buddha’s live time and King Asoka’s live time. Gawan (laterite) city place has become safe area only in 1970. In it, laterite well, laterite stairs, ancient letters carved in the laterite and some other evidences can trace back the same century.
That means this city is earlies city in Myanmar with rich interesting stuff. Taungzin Village, beside Pathein and Monywar High Way is entrance to the Gawan Ancient City by driving about two miles through the thick forest.
It was exciting but at the same time, our group with a lot of students and ladies felt worried about something or someone because no visitors were seen on the way. However, when our group was there, all kinds of tiredness, worry, doubt had gone at once.
A trustee explained what and how of this city. Students looked around, took photos and selfie and went here and there where they expected to find something special. Parents followed them by warning, talking, sweetening and shouting at times.
Briefly, all were tried but excited and experienced something new. As usual, promising one another to come back here again was done.
That was a problem, a good problem. That was students and parents could not help themselves going to some more places. They wanted to go “a hundred-pillar-monastery” where we can see age-old stuff and a hundred wooden posts. No one was sure where it was.
The excursion-group went there with the help of the map of asking. On the way to the monastery, the vehicle, light truck was stuck in the very thick dust. The vehicle itself could not go any further. That was great because there would be a test, unity-test, not paper test. The situation demanded a state of being joined as a whole.
That is called “unity”. The time came for unity-test. No student was told “Get out of the car, come one! Let’s push”. If we say so, it looks like students were given questions before the exam and they will cheat in the exam. However, students got out of the car and pushed it making rallying cry “Hay! Hay!”.
Finally, they did it. That means they passed the exam with distinction of a new experience, not available in the class room, of getting dirt with dust. Unity, in the end, has beneficial and happy result for ever. After sightseeing, it was about 5:30 pm.
We had left Myanaung around 8:00 am and now it was late evening and we all were in the place which is rather far from our home town. And then it was believed that the energy in the students’ body was almost finished. Actually, No, not at all.
They were so eager to keep going another place where well-known Peinhnai Kyaung Sayadaw’a death body is kept and one vehicle was already on the way to that place. Yet, we forcefully brought them back and arrived Myanaung over 9:00 pm.
Every beginning has its ending. That is nature. We have no choice to change the nature of ending but we do have a choice to end it strong or weak. So, let’s select a strong ending. How depends on what and who. We wanted to motivate students no matter when, what and where.
That is because we believe that motivation plays key role in the studying things. Motivation will make self-confidence that is root of all kinds of success. The plan to inspire students was to include performance in the closing ceremony.
All students can participate in their part of performance and they prepared their parts by jumping, suddenly shaking their body, even turning somersaults if necessary. I don’t know well about these kinds of stuff. What I understand is they energetically and gaily prepared these for the performance.
This is a fan. This is the taste of life. Some people crazily believe that students should wrestle the whole time with their lessons, not any other things So, they put their children into the class and class and class and let them study with almost no break. They fail to check whether their children are progressing, progressed, have progressed or not.
Later, children get bored and become passive in the class and everywhere, later and finally, those kinds of children turn into dimwitted ones. They are indeed enemies rather than parents. They have already destroyed children’ s life before they know. We all need to be careful with it.
The time they had been waiting came but unfortunately, the electricity had gone out. That kind of experience is nothing unusual in Myanmar. There was nothing to stop the performance, everybody felt. Therefore, headlight of cars and motorbike switched on and lighted students. That was pleasant view I have ever seen. The performance was done successfully.
A situation demanded to meet U Maung, commonly known as actor U Kyaw Thu, the founding father of Free Funeral Service Society, Yangon. Pyinnyar Pankhin group met him in his office with the help of Ma Aye Yar Maung Maung. Actually, FFSS and Pyinnyar Pankhin have different interest.
FFSS gives hand to dead people and Pyinnyar Pankhin gives hand to alive students but we have the same goal, that is, we want to help others with what available are. Pyinnyar Pankhin shared its dream with him and we figured the situation out how and what we can help others. On the screen, we can his face and action and in the office, can see his heart and soul.