Myanmar ‘Healing a nation through education’

Contents 01 Myanmar Overview 06 Establishing St John’s School in Hakha 09 Supporting teachers in rural Myanmar to receive formal 12 Providing quality education to disadvantaged children in Bago 15 Building an entrepreneurship skills training centre for girls in Yangon

‘Healing a nation through education’ “In all of this, where is the Catholic Church that, at least until now, we are where the government is not. We are in the slums; we are in the camps for internally displaced people; we are working with our friends in the Buddhist and Muslim communities to promote inter-faith harmony; we are providing education, healthcare and livelihoods; we are advocating for our people.”

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, 2016

This image: Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon Cover image: A young girl at St John’s School, Hakha Catholic Mission acknowledges the traditional owners of the land.

Published June 2018 by Catholic Mission

Myanmar Overview

53 million

1 quarter

135

people live in Myanmar

of the population is living below the poverty line

different ethnic groups

The Country

Myanmar is the largest country by area in mainland Southeast Asia and is bordered by China, Bangladesh, India and Thailand. It has a diverse population of around 53 million people with approximately 135 separate ethnic groups.1 Despite its size and location, Myanmar is also placed in the lower half of the region’s economies, with around one quarter of its population estimated to be living below the poverty line.2 The main religion in Myanmar is Buddhism, with around 88% of the population identifying as such.3 While the majority of Myanmar’s seven states are inhabited mostly by the dominant Bamar ethnic group, there are also seven regions which consist mainly of particular ethnic minorities.

Location: Asia

Myanmar is faced with many challenges today. Much of Myanmar’s modern history has been characterised by civil and ethnic conflict.

Active conflict zones still exist in parts of the country, including the Rakhine, Shan, Kachin and Kayin states.4 Ongoing ethnic and religious violence has intensified since 2012, culminating in the tragic displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from the country in the past year,5 and accusations of human rights impingements have drawn widespread condemnation from the international community.

The high incidence of poverty is exacerbated by barriers to education, and has contributed Caption to adverse health outcomes.6 Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are limited, resulting in the imprisonment, attack and intimidation of human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists.7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The World Bank, Myanmar: A Systematic Country Diagnostic, November 2014, http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/EAP/Myanmar/WBG_SCD_ Full_Report_English.pdf The World Bank, Myanmar Poverty Assessment 2017: Part Two, 12 December 2017, http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/myanmar/publication/myanmar-poverty-assessment-2017-part-two Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, July 2016, http://themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/documents/Report_Religion_-_Census_Report_V2-C_DOP_Jul2016_ENG.pdf REDRESS, Supplement to the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Myanmar, Myanmar-Specific Guidance for Practitioners, March 2018, http://www.refworld.org/docid/5ac784b24.html p. 4 Human Rights Watch, World Report 2018 - Burma, 18 January 2018, http://www.refworld.org/docid/5a61ee93a.html The World Bank, Myanmar Overview, April 2018, http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/myanmar/overview Human Rights Watch, World Report 2018 - Burma, 18 January 2018, http://www.refworld.org/docid/5a61ee93a.html

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History After 800 years of dynastic rule, the British waged three wars on Myanmar, which became the British colony of Burma in 1886. The country remained occupied by Britain until 1948 when Burma became an independent republic. After Myanmar was again occupied – this time by Japan – General /BZ Win led a military junta, taking control of Myanmar and expelling all foreign missionaries and nationalising the nation’s education system. In 1990, supposedly democratic national elections were held, though the result, which had the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) claiming victory in a landslide, was ignored by the ruling military. It wasn’t until 2011 that the military relinquished its hold on the government, beginning a transition to a nominally civilian government. In 2015, the first truly democratic elections were held and the result—the NLD again winning—was acknowledged. However, the leader of the NLD, Nobel Prize Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was constitutionally banned from becoming president. Instead, she assumed the role of State Counsellor, with significant restrictions imposed upon her by the military.

The People Myanmar is an ethnically diverse country. The Bamar people represent the majority (68%) of the population.8 The Shan, Karen, Rakhine, Chinese, Mon, of the population identify identify with a Christian Indian, Chin, and Rohingya as Buddhist based religion make up around 28% of the population.9 Myanmar is home to many language families, including: Sino-Tibetan, Tai-Kadai, Austro-Asiatic Austronesian, Hmong-Mien and Indo-European.10 The official language of Myanmar is Burmese, the major language of the Bamar people; but at least one hundred languages are spoken nationwide. Aside from Buddhism, Christianity (6%) and Islam (4%) are the next most followed religions.11 Hinduism is present in Myanmar, but at around 0.5%, it is among the stark minorities, including Catholicism and other religions (1%).12 Myanmar has a tendency towards a younger population, with around 50% under 25, and 25% being under 15 years of age.13

88%

6%

Education The literacy rate for youth aged 14-24 years is 96%, however, the secondary school net attendance ratio is approximately 58%.14 Education has always been paramount to the people of Myanmar.

Prior to the 1962 military coup, government and religious schools coexisted in Myanmar, offering a high standard of education which was among the best in Southeast Asia. However, after 1962 a number of changes to the schools system caused a severe decline in education, including the nationalisation of religious schools, cuts to funding, the expulsion of foreign missionaries, and the introduction of the rote learning system. This system requires children to learn by 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

2

58% secondary school attendance net ratio

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Burma, 1 May 2018, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html ACT Government Multicultural Health Policy Unit, ACT Health Community Profile: Burma/Myanmar, 2014 https://health.act.gov.au/sites/default/files/ACT%20Health%20 Community%20Profile%20-%20Burma%20%282014%29.pdf Myanmar Information Management Unit, Main Spoken Languages of Myanmar, 9 June 2016 http://themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/documents/Ethnologue_Map_ Main_Spoken_Languages_of_Myanmar_MIMU1300v02_09Jun2016_A1.pdf Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, July 2016, http://themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/documents/Report_Religion_-_Census_Report_V2-C_DOP_Jul2016_ENG.pdf Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census, July 2016, http://themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/documents/Report_Religion_-_Census_Report_V2-C_DOP_Jul2016_ENG.pdf Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Thematic Report on Children and Youth, October 2017, http:// themimu.info/sites/themimu.info/files/documents/Report_Thematic_Report_on_Children_Youth_-_Census_Report_4-M_DOP_Oct2017_ENG.pdf Caption UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2016, June 2016, https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/UNICEF_SOWC_2016.pdf

heart, without giving them the tools for critical analysis. When the nation’s bishops came together to prepare an agenda for the coming years, education topped the list. The Church is now opening schools and training teachers—namely in the child-centered approach—in an effort to return to the lofty standards of education Myanmar once enjoyed.

The Church

326

142

1,830

catechists supported by Catholic Mission

seminarians supported by Catholic Mission

children supported through direct projects in 2017/18

Today, there are a reported 700,000 Catholics in Myanmar. The Catholic Church is divided into 16 dioceses, including three archdioceses. Led by Cardinal Charles Maung Bo S.D.B., the Church has been a leader in educational and social reform, advocating strongly for the poor and marginalised in Myanmar. Cardinal Bo is a strong advocate for interreligious dialogue, human rights and peace in Myanmar in national and international forums.

Catholic Mission supports the Catholic Church in Myanmar in a number of ways, including through funding, missionary collaboration and providing expertise in sustainability, and in 2016 Catholic Mission entered a five-year partnership with the Archdiocese of Yangon, and the dioceses of Kalay and Hakha. In 2017, Catholic Mission provided funding to support 326 catechists, including 82 in Yangon and 239 in Hakha.

The Church in Myanmar has a strong focus on education as the key to moving forward, and is engaged in a range of education specific projects. These include building and funding hostels which ensure access to education for children who are disadvantaged or live in remote areas, some of whom are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS. Catholic Mission has supported the construction of two churches and a clergy house in Myanmar in 2017/18.

Father Lucas Tha Ling Sum stands in front of the church in Chin Chung 3

In November 2017, Pope Francis made the first ever papal visit to Myanmar. During a public Mass in Yangon, he said, ‘…the Church in this country is helping great numbers of men, women and children, regardless of religion or ethnic background. I can see that the Church here is alive, that Christ is alive and here with you and with your brothers and sisters of other Christian communities. I encourage you to keep sharing with others the priceless wisdom that you have received, the love of God welling up in the heart of Jesus.’

Catholic Mission Projects Catholic Mission supports a number of projects in Myanmar. Some key acheivements in 2017/18 include:

360 degree footage

Pan Hlaing ‘Church Down the River’ The construction of Pan Hlaing Church, funded by Catholic Mission, was carried out entirely by villagers from surrounding communities. From Yangon, the construction materials, including cement bags, travelled two hours by truck to the river. They were then transported by boat to the village, where local people carried the materials, totalling ten tonnes, by foot up a hill to the church.

Supporting St Joseph’s HIV Orphanage in Kalay The hostel provides accomodation and education for children who have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS, some of whom are HIV-positive themselves. The nuns at the hostel travel seven hours across the border and back to purchase medications for the children, which are also funded by St Joseph’s.

Page 4, images top to bottom: The fully constructed Pan Hlaing Church; The boats used to carry all ten tonnes of construction materials down the river; Children from St Joseph’s HIV Orphanage; A child and nun at St Joseph’s HIV Orphanage

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Supporting the Catechist Centre in Yangon The training centre in Yangon provides a two-year program for students to become catechists. At the completion of their course they are then sent out to remote communities.

Funding the rebuilding of churches To the far left, a church just outside Yangon is pictured prior to the Catholic Mission funded upgrade. At right is the construction of the new church.

Project Partnership Opportunities The high incidence of poverty is exacerbated by barriers to education, and has contributed to adverse health outcomes. Catholic Mission has a number of project opportunities in 2018/19 to support the people of Myanmar to ‘heal a nation through education’.

These following projects are all tax-deductible and we work directly with the in-country partner.

The project opportunities are: • Establishing St John’s School in Hakha • Supporting teachers in rural Myanmar to receive formal qualifications (PSIE) • Providing quality education to disadvantaged children in Bago • Building an entrepreneurship skills training centre for girls in Yangon Key Reporting Dates: Project

Project Code

Report Schedule

Establishing St John’s School in Hakha

MMCT1200014

February 2018

August 2018

Supporting teachers in rural Myanmar to receive formal qualifications (PSIE)

MMPT1100686

February 2018

August 2018

February 2019

August 2019

February 2020

Providing quality education to disadvantaged children in Bago

MMCT1100687

February 2018

August 2018

February 2019

August 2019

February 2020

Building an entrepreneurship skills training centre for girls in Yangon

MMPT1100689

June 2018

December 2018

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Establishing St John’s School in Hakha

26%

25%

360°

of people in Chin state have received no schooling

of the population is under 15 years of age

Hakha in 360 degrees

Location: Hakha, Chin State

Project Duration: 3 Years

Project Cost: $602,871i

“The whole education system mainly practices and fosters rote learning, to study by heart...This school will use a child-centered approach which focuses on developing the potential of each child through holistic learning.”

- Father Lucas Tha Ling Sum, Chancellor

Father Lucas with a student at St John’s School

About the Project Southern Chin is home to some of the most remote and isolated communities in the country. The Hakha Diocese is located in the mountainous region of the state, and during the rainy season the mountainous roads become impassable with frequent landslides blocking off all access. According to UNICEF, Chin State remains one of the least developed areas of Myanmar, with its school facilities largely inadequate.15 Around 26% of people in Chin State have received no schooling,16 and Chin State has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country (79.4%).17 15 16

UNICEF, Delivering Results for Children 2016, 2016, https://www.unicef.org/myanmar/Delivering_results_for_children_2016_(Final_preview_version).pdf Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Thematic Report on Education, June 2017, http://myanmar.

17

The Republic of the Union of Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Thematic Report on Education, June 2017,

6

The establishment of St John’s School will contribute to the wellbeing of the children of this area and improve the education system. The school will use a child-centered approach, focused on the development of each child through holistic learning.

5IF NBJO BDUJWJUJFT PG UIF QSPKFDU JODMVEF • • • • •

the construction of two double-storey buildings teacher training the purchase of school materials income generation establishing meaningful parental engagement

Mission. Since the commencement of the project in January 2017, the Diocese has trained seven teachers, with an additional four teachers currently completing training, thanks to a partnership agreement with both the Episcopal Commission for Education (ECE) and the Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Education (PSIE).

The provision of adequate teaching aids and the establishment of parent meetings to increase parental involvement have also been achieved. The implementation of school fees is expected to generate $18,586, which will contribute to the sustainability of the project. These fees will also be used to create a fund to supplement education for children from low-income families.

Now, the Hakha Diocese is seeking support to construct the second building for St John’s School, and for the purchase of a second school bus. Although the second building will increase the capacity of the school, which can currently accept only 55 students, some students may not be able to attend school without adequate transport in this remote area.

Into the future, the project will establish further income generating activities such as pig raising which is expected to deliver a return of $6,425.

Project Aims The aims of this project are: • • •

To establish a successful private school which becomes a model for the diocese and the country To ensure students have a proper foundation of holistic education Establishing income-producing enterprises to develop a sustainable model for others to replicate, and to build income so that children from poorer backgrounds can have access to quality education

• Commission for Education and Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Educationii

By contributing to this project through Catholic Mission, you will be supporting a community to break recently commenced education program and ensure its expansion to senior grades, an essential part of the success of the entire mission.

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Project Cost iii, iv The total cost of the project is $602,871, including $415,809 for the project’s first year and $187,062 for the second year of the project.

Key project costs include: Project Activites

Year 1

Year 2

Total

Second building

$214,744

Teacher training

$44,477

$ 8,023

$112,500

Staff salaries

$23,703

$56,512

$80,215

School materials

$37,177

$6,201

$43,378

Second bus

$36,628

Pig raising

$214,744

$36,628 $23,023

$23,023

Itemised project cost examples: Item

iii iv

1 year

$7,849

Salary for 1 teacher

1 year

$4,395

Salary for 1 teacher

1 month

$366

Salary for 1 bus driver

1 month

$262

Total fuel costs for 2 busses

1 month

$122

Single purchase

$52

Inclusive of accountability and administration costs.

The training of teachers is being conducted by both the Episcopal Commission for Education and Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Education. Both Catholic organisations where the teacher training is taking place are supported by Catholic Mission Costs have been rounded to the nearest dollar and are expressed in AUD These are examples of costs relating to this project, donations cannot be allocated to specific items, only to a project.

The construction of St John’s School 8

Amount

Training of 1 primary school teacher

Purchase of 1 desk and 1 chair i ii

Duration

Supporting Teachers in Rural Myanmar

30 teachers will be trained

Location: Yangon, Myanmar

27

900

subjects will be covered in the diploma Project Duration: 3 Years

Project Cost: $540,635i

“Catholic Mission [has] thought a lot about promoting good quality education for our people. cultures, beliefs and religions.”

– Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon

Teachers and students at PSIE

About the Project Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Education (PSIE) in Yangon aims to enhance educational opportunities in a of teachers, this project will help to improve the quality of education available in Myanmar. PSIE has been operating for over ten years with more than 140 graduate teachers teaching across remote and rural Myanmar. The institute trains teachers to use a child-centred pedagogy rather than the memorisation method which is common across Myanmar, and runs programs to provide education for children from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds. PSIE is seeking support for the training of its teachers and PSIE has formed a partnership with Help University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to provide high quality training to student teachers in Myanmar.

9

The partnership will ensure a two-and-a-half-year diploma in education can be offered for up to 30 teacher trainees. It is anticipated that in the future, a two-year pre-diploma program can be offered to an additional 30 teacher trainees.

The diploma covers 27 subjects, equipping the trainees to teach a wide range of subjects in primary and middle schools, up to year eight. These subjects include extra-curricular formation in anti-trafficking, child protection, art for healing, creative development, environmental education and physical education.

The project will be located across five areas in Myanmar. Trainees will attend intensive tuition from Help University lecturers in Yankin, and then will be posted for placement in Wai Lun Wun Monastic School in Bago, Nazareth Bush School in Myaungmya in the Ayeryawaddy Region, St Albert’s Private Middle School, and Love of Light School in Yenangkyuang. For the duration of their placement, the teacher trainees are closely monitored by the PSIE teaching staff.

Funding from Catholic Mission will be used to pay the travel, board and lodging of visiting lecturers from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; salaries of the onshore native and foreign teaching staff; salaries of the support staff; and the lease of the PSIE building. The rest of the funding will go towards the two-year pre-diploma program.

The main activities of the project include: • • •

Training 30 teachers in child-centred education, who in turn will be posted to at least four locations to teach approximately 900 students Developing environmentally conscious trainee teachers, who will become environmental advocates and share this with students Providing the trainees with skills to facilitate art for healing and creative development, especially for children who have experienced trauma

Project Aims This project aims to improve the education of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of children in Myanmar.

Specifically, these groups include children from: • • • • •

Remote areas Conflict areas Families of internally displaced people, including children who may be living in orphanages run by the Church Highly disadvantaged families who are vulnerable to human trafficking Areas devastated by Cyclone Nargis (2008)

A Success Story Having lost her father at the age of two, and her mother ten years later, Min Min and her five brothers and sisters were left in the care of their local parish priest. With civil unrest common in Myanmar in the mid1990s, Min Min and her family were often moving from village to village for their own safety.

Education for Min Min and her siblings was not easily accessible. Without the support of their parish they were often not allowed to attend schools in the villages they settled in. Min Min was lucky to be able to move to Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, after she completed Grade 1 to continue her education.

Moving back to her family and their remote village community after finishing school, Min Min started volunteering at the local school, started by the Church – this sparked her love of teaching.

10

Through her volunteering, Min Min learnt about the opportunity to study teaching at PSIE in Yangon. She is excited at the chance to become a teacher, learning new skills each day to engage and encourage children. Min Min has already completed one year of practical training, and is very much looking forward to graduating so she can help educate and support children in her homeland who otherwise have limited access to quality, child-centred education.

“I really want to be a skillful teacher, to give real education to them. I really want to give what I’ve learned so that I can help them improve.”

Min Min at PSIE

Driven by her own challenges as a young child, Min Min is now passionate in wanting to give children a better chance at school. She understands the gift that she has received and wants to ensure younger generations have every opportunity of a full life.

How you can make a difference Your support in building a strong teaching network in Myanmar will allow thousands of children to receive a quality education, shaping future leaders for Myanmar. Your contribution to this project through Catholic Mission ensures that those vulnerable groups who have been affected by a wide range of issues, such as internal conflict and natural disasters, can access quality education. This will be a platform for further success and prosperity for many years to come.

Project Cost ii, iii The total cost of the project is $540,635, including $68,637 for Year 1, $235,782 for Year 2 and $236,215 for Year 3.

Key project costs include: Project Activites Practicum Summer Camp iv

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Total

$947

$947

$947

$2,841

Friendship Camp v

$4,465

$4,465

$4,465

$13,395

Diploma program vi

$27,735

$54,793

$54,793

$137,321

Weekly practicum

$1,164

$1,542

$2,708

Teaching materials

$1,082

$1,082

$2,164

$676

$676

$1,352

Staff travel vii

$3,937

$3,937

$7,874

Staff salaries

$77,928

$77,928

$155,856

$3,775

$3,775

$7,550

Library resources

Stipends for special lecturers viii i ii iii iv v vi vii viii

Inclusive of accountability and administration costs These are examples of some costs relating to this project, donations cannot be allocated to specific items, only to a project Costs have been rounded to the nearest dollar and are expressed in AUD The Practicum Summer Camp is a 1-month camp which runs across 5 locations and is attended by 750 children The Friendship Camp runs for 10 days and is attended by 80 children from 10 remote boarding houses The Diploma Program provides formal qualifications for 30 students Staff travel is for practicum observation purposes Special lecturers cover topics including Music, Literature, Physical Education and Child Protection

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Providing Quality Education to Disadvantaged Children in Bago

Bago

3 years

$233,650

Location Location: Yangon, Myanmar

Project duration Project Duration: 3 Years

Project Project cost Cost: $540,635i

“The whole Myanmar Church made education a priority. Without the education of the children, Myanmar will not have a future at all.”

– Cardinal Bo, Archbishop of Yangon

Children from a school in Yangon Archdiocese

About the Project To address the issues associated with limited access to education, the Archdiocese of Yangon developed the Diocesan Pastoral Plan in 2008. The plan includes the establishment of a private school for primary and secondary students from rural communities surrounding Bago. The aim of the school is to increase the

change where it is needed most.

12

Teachers who work at the school come from the Episcopal Commission for Education (ECE) and Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Education (PSIE), programs which are supported by Catholic Mission. In this way the

The main activities of the project include: • • • • • • •

Renovate the current school building and set up teaching equipment and facilities Form a school management committee and recruit well trained teachers to provide holistic education to the students Coordinate with PSIE and ECE to ensure that teachers are available to be recruited for the school.

Conduct education needs assessment, capacity assessment and risk assessment in collaboration Advertise the private school in the area to attract enrolments Provide formal and informal training in holistic education, formation, life skills and ethics

Project Aims The aims of this project are: • • • •

Raising awareness and sharing knowledge on the essential roles of learning facilitators for children’s learning and education Assisting the parents in understanding the role and value of child-centred education Enabling teachers to care, nurture, facilitate and teach the children with skills according to creative pedagogic and didactic methods based on the principles of Catholic Education Providing quality education to our younger generation by setting up primary schools in the Archdiocese

• •

their utmost capabilities with a socially responsible mindset Supporting the Archdiocese of Yangon education plan

This project is part of a broader Church strategy to improve the education of children in Myanmar, returning the nation to its status as a leading provider of education in the region.

Your contribution to this project ensures disadvantaged children in the remote area of Bago can access quality holistic education and greater opportunities in life. You will also be contributing to the overall strategy of improving education in Myanmar, and supporting a revolutionary program that will have a profound impact on the lives of thousands of young people across generations to come.

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Project Cost ii, iii The total cost of the project is $560,524, including $233,650 for Year 1, $144,944 for Year 2 and $181,930 for Year 3.

Key project costs include: Project Activites

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Total

School equipment

$7,659

$1,544

$2,029

$11,232

Montessori kits iv

$7,441

$7,711

$8,118

$23,270

Children’s uniforms v

$1,353

$2,706

$4,944

$9,003

Outdoor playground

$9,245

$676

$812

$10,733

$51,120

$6,014

$4,600

$61,734

$676

$676

$676

$2,028

School transport vi

$27,058

$959

$1,613

$29,630

Parent workshop vii

$1,015

$1,285

$1,488

$3,788

Teacher skills training

$1,962

$1,461

$935

$4,358

School activities

$18,465

$20,476

$30,188

$69,129

Salaries for teachers and assistant teachers

$12,176 (3 staff )

$24,353 (6 staff )

$36,529 (9 staff )

$73,058

Renovation of building Library books

A boy from a school in Yangon Archdiocese i ii iii iv v vi vii

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Inclusive of accountability and administration costs These are examples of some costs relating to this project, donations cannot be allocated to specific items, only to a project Costs have been rounded to the nearest dollar and are expressed in AUD Funding is for 2 Montessori kits per year Funding is for 60 children’s uniforms per year School transport includes the purchase of 2 mini-buses and maintenance The parent workshop aims to engage parents in the education of their child

Building an Entrepreneurship Skills Training Centre for Girls in Yangon 72% 49.6% 35.9% of people with no formal Location: Yangon, Myanmar education...

of Project people who have 3 Years Duration: completed grade 11...

of people who have Project Cost:engaged $540,635i in vocational training...

...are engaged in vulnerable employment in Myanmar Location: Yangon, Myanmar

Project Duration: 5 Months

Project Cost: $538,031i

About the Project This project supports the Salesian Sisters to build a vocational training centre for girls in Yangon. The Sisters have successfully developed vocational training schools in India, Cambodia and Timor-Leste, with an emphasis on hospitality, tailoring and secretary skills. The project aims to improve the employability of girls from remote villages across Myanmar who are at risk of being abused, leaving school, exploited for labour and victims of the civil unrest in the northern part of Myanmar.

In Myanmar, women participate in the labour force at a significantly lower rate than men, and around two times as many women than men are out of work.18 Furthermore, the incidence of vulnerable work is higher among women, with 63 per cent of all employed women currently engaged in vulnerable work.19 Vulnerability refers to the high Percentage of employed persons aged ten and over who work in level of economic risk which vulnerable employment by highest qualification attainedi arises from weak employment arrangements.20 Many women migrate internationally for employment opportunities as domestic workers, an industry which increases their risk of abuse such as forced labour.21 Lower levels of education correlate with a higher incidence of vulnerable employment.22 However, many girls in Myanmar are not able to pursue education beyond grade 11, being instead pushed into the labour market early due to poverty.

The program addresses this issue by providing vocational 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census training in ‘Food and Home 18 19 20 21 22

Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, ‘The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Thematic report on labour force’, Census report, June 2017, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/4G_Labour%20Force%209JUNE_forWEB_0.pdf Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, ‘The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Thematic report on labour force’, Census report, June 2017, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/4G_Labour%20Force%209JUNE_forWEB_0.pdf Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, ‘The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Thematic report on labour force’, Census report, June 2017, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/4G_Labour%20Force%209JUNE_forWEB_0.pdf International Labour Organization, Labour migration in Myanmar, http://www.ilo.org/yangon/areas/labour-migration/lang--en/index.htm Myanmar Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, ‘The 2014 Myanmar Population and Housing Census: Thematic report on labour force’, Census report, June 2017, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/4G_Labour%20Force%209JUNE_forWEB_0.pdf

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Management’ – a comprehensive cooking and housekeeping course – which corresponds with current domestic labour demands in Myanmar. Recently there has been an increase in the hospitality industry, including hotels and restaurants. The centre will provide 30 places annually to girls who experience poverty and are at increased risk of engaging in vulnerable work. At the end of the course, students will have completed job training experiences in a range of hospitality settings. Students also have the opportunity to receive extra lessons in Burmese language, English and Mathematics to increase their employability.

Catholic Mission’s project to construct a new building to host the vocational training centre will provide girls with a place to learn, study and live. This will replace the previous building, which was small and dilapidated, thus increasing the vocational centre’s capacity. The new building will provide a safe and highquality living and learning environment for the girls. The Salesian Sisters Generalite in Rome and their international congregation will support the ongoing costs of the program, including teaching costs, food and bills.

Project Aims The aims of this project are: • • •

To provide a place for girls from rural and at-risk areas to receive vocational education To provide skills which will enable girls to find gainful employment To reduce risk factors for exploitation and abuse

How you can make a difference Your contribution will reduce the risk of women in Myanmar becoming engaged in vulnerable employment.

Data from the 2014 Myanmar population and housing census demonstrates the significant reduction in vulnerable employment that arises from vocational training programs. You will also assist women to be active members of their local economies, rather than migrating for work, thus ensuring the benefits from the training program remain in local communities.

Project Cost ii, iii The total cost of the project is $538,031. Key costs include: Activity Site clearing and removal of old building Construction (Structure work, brick work, and plastering)

i ii iii

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Amount $9,019 $263,819

Electricity (Electrical supply, materials and labour)

$22,549

Emulsion paint work (Materials and labour)

$13,529

Ceiling work (Materials and labour)

$13,529

Tiling (Materials and labour)

$50,735

Fees for building permits

$3,382

Insurance fees

$3,382

Plumbing (Materials and labour)

$22,549

Windows (Materials and labour)

$16,912

Inclusive of accountability and administration costs These are examples of some costs relating to this project, donations cannot be allocated to specific items, only to a project Costs have been rounded to the nearest dollar and are expressed in AUD

Children at St John’s School in Hakha

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PO Box 1668 North Sydney NSW 2059 T: 02 9919 7800 F: 02 8904 0185 E: admin@catholicmission.org.au

Freecall: 1800 257 296 catholicmission.org.au