Landsmeer, February, 2011.
Dear Donor
This is our ninth progress report on our work for the two orphanages in and around Nyaungshwe in Myanmar (Burma).
Due to illness, our committee unfortunately was not able to visit the orphanages in 2010. However, luckily there were five donors from Landsmeer who were able to visit the orphanages . They did bring, other than money, also textbooks and a new laptop for the kids. The committee did have frequent contacts with the staff of the orphanages by telephone and email. It may be mentioned that everything goes well with the children and the staff members. At year-end 2010 48 girls and 38 boys were living in the orphanages. They all go to school by day, and in the evening they are coached by the staff.
Each year the children get free medical exams. They also get once a year a free dental check-up by a dentist, for whom Cor Visser in his time paid a significant portion of the tuition.
We did not succeed in strengthening the staff of the orphanages. A Dutch foundation that sponsors a school in Burma, will help us now to find an assistant for our English teacher who is part of the staff. Given the age of our orphanage father, U Tet Tun, we need to find a successor for him in time.
Volunteers
In March 2010 a lady from Germany (Monica) visited the orphanages. She did bring at our request and at our cost a new laptop and explained to the children how to use it . She also taught them a few German language lessons.
In April 2010 an Australian woman (Fiona) visited for a few days our orphanages for the second time. She performed, as in 2009, a few sparkling shows for the children, sang English songs and made poems and drawings with the children, and gave music lessons on the guitar. Fiona is a professional clown who makes her living by performing shows for children. For approximately two months per year, she gives shows and drawing and music lessons for free to children in orphanages and in poor neighbourhoods outside of Australia.
In December 2010, a lady from Hawaii (Susan) came to the orphanages. She wanted to investigate whether it is possible to grow vegetables at the orphanages for their own consumption . To investigate this, she visited a number of farmers growing vegetables in the area.. If all goes as planned, we hope to implement this project next year. A plan for making fertilizer will be also made. Susan has also taught English to the children and how they can grow vegetables and strawberries on their own.
Also for this coming year 2011 volunteers are planning to work for several weeks in the orphanages. We are proud of the efforts of our volunteers, who try to improve the lives of the children .
Small businesses
Given the success of our chicken business in 2009, we bought again a few hundred chickens in 2010 and sold the eggs on the market.
The cogeneration plant came into operation this year. Every time the power fails - and that happens almost every day in Burma from 6.00 pm onwards ! - the installation starts. By burning waste from rice, steam is generated. The steam is being used to drive a generator producing electricity. There is also a small amount of power supplied to the neighbours.
On a piece of land , purchased some time ago by the orphanages, rice is grown by a farmer. As 'rent' a portion of the rice yield is given to the orphanages.
Activities in the Netherlands
Also in 2010, there were donors who have given money in a special way to our foundation. For example there have been three anniversaries at which only money gifts were requested to be made available to our foundation. Then the primary school 'De Hoeksteen' from Landsmeer also campaigned for the foundation. And a shop in Landsmeer where you can find used clothing , passes on the tips they receive to our foundation.
In Landsmeer an exhibition has been organized around Burma photographs of the amateur photographer Pieter de Kleer from Landsmeer, Holland. To great interest, the photographer at the opening of this exhibition showed the pictures on a big screen and gave explanation. That same evening one of our committee members also explained the status of our orphanages..
In 2010, our website (http://www.careforchildren.nu) has been updated. A book of photos of the orphanages has been included and a new section has been added on the homepage. It is now also possible to donate through the website. Next year the website will also be in English in order to reach a wider audience.
Financial
Mainly due to a large donation from a Swiss organization (€ 3.700, -) and the revenues of the three aforementioned anniversaries (€ 1.805, -), we realized a small surplus in 2010 . This money was added to our reserves.
A reserve is needed because in Burma it is not possible to insure the orphanages against fire or storm damage and the like, because private insurance companies do not exist there. If there ever were a fire in the orphanages, the management of the orphanages could not claim damages anywhere. For these potential calamities, but also to be prepared for other unforeseen circumstances, we have in recent years built up a financial buffer.
We also received € 1.564, – for our scholarship fund, intended to financially support children who leave the orphanages for their further studies. Currently four children are making use of this fund.
The detailed financial report can be found on our website starting mid-March this year .
Thanks
We are extremely grateful for all the support we have received in 2010 from you and all other donors, large and small, from private persons and commercial institutions, from churches and schools and from others.
Thank you very, very much!
The executive committee:
Maria Overmars (chairman),
Robert Schuil (member),
Hans Kreuger (member),
Simon Goede (secretary / treasurer).
Our advisers
Gerrit Jan Muller
Chris Westrus
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