The subject is not easy.
Some will say that the best way for helping Burmese people
is not to come to Burma on holiday and to boycott the country.
We do not think that isolating the country will help him to
change (did it work anywhere ?)
If you already chose to come on holiday in Myanmar, your mind
is already made. Perhaps you want to take advantage from your
trip to help or to do something for Burmese people.
We absolutely do not want to dissuade
you to make gifts or to help Birmans. We just
want to be sure that your kind will arrive at the good people
Drugs, school books - Be careful !
It is a traditional problem.
Unfortunately, the economic situation in
Burma is so bad that your drugs or supplies will be probably resold.
If you do not know personally a reliable network , implied people with
whom you can make confidence,it is difficult to be sure that your gift will not be resold. Moreover, in the case of the drugs,
it is very often necessary to translate into Burmese or English the
notes.
If you have the opportunity to get drugs, gift of book or
other gifts in kind, you can always contact us. We will say to you
what we can do to help you and help our Burmese
friends.
().
In fact, it is possible to find everything in Burma, all the types of pens,
portable telephones... all is a question of money.
Buy local, sleep local, spend local.....
Yes,if you shop at the local handycrafts shop, pay the right price, you
really help the people to live from the tourism business. As you help them while staying in the hotels, the private " guest houses " or by
eating in local restaurants rather than in the state-owned hotels.
Buy food (rice, oil)
Many monasteries, not to say all almost, are in relation to very poor
families which have big problem to nourish themselves. Very often, the
monasteries which receive too much donation in the forms of foods,
distribute the surplus to the families most stripped.
The most famous and spectacular monastery is Thar Ma Nya near PA AN. The monastery is serving food freely everyday to everyboday from 6 AMp to 9 PM in huge room. All the food is vegetarian.
To give food in the intention specific to be redistributed to the poor
of the village or the city is a good method, appreciated by the Burmese.
If you remain several days at the same places, you can even ask
to be present at the time of your donation to the poor people
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NGO In Yangon.
You can make money or time donation to NGOs that are working in Myanmar.
Bourse d'étude
We have just helped a French company to install a scholarship for 20
students at the Alliance Française of Yangon.
This scholarship will offer to 20 Burmese students the education costs at the Alliance Française of Yangon over a 2 years period.
This extraordinary and intelligent opportunity is possible thanks to
the generosity of a French company:
Monbana
SA (www.
monbana.com) who chose to help the Burmese students even if they have no interest
there.
We think that it is a very intelligent manner to help the Burmese student while enabling them to learn a foreign language, that becomes very important
in Burma (French are the most important Western
tourists in Myanmar).
Ananda Travel Yangon is also planning to open a scholarship for some students that can not afford the cost of the Univeristy. We wish to associate all the people travelling in Myanmar. If you have any idea how we should organise this, people contact us.:
Help the Harrison Institute
Harrisson Institute has been an English research center, specialized
for more than 50 years in the protection of the biodiversity.
Harrisson Institute, in connection with the University of zoology of
Yangon, does a very important work concerning the protection of fauna
and the flora in Myanmar.
You can help the Harrisson Institute either by coming during one the expedition in Burma (or elsewhere), or by helping them financially.
More information on the Harrison Institute, its objectives,expedition.
Web site :
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