Myanmar mission began in 2001 in answer to the pleading of Sr. Fidelis (originally from Myanmar but now in the Malaysian Province).  Requests came from others including Bishop Charles Bo of Pathein diocese where we began our service of education at different levels. Now we are in three communities: Hledan, Thilawa and Nyaulangone with 2 permanent lay partners.

 

The P.S.I.E.  (Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Education) teacher training began in 2007. To date, there have been 12 Batches, that is, more than 100 young people have gone through a trainining program to prepare them to serve the poor and marginalised in rural Myanmar.

 

During the summer holidays there are educational camps according to themes, for example: Friendship, Art, Care for the earth.

 

One significant outreach has been to the children’s Remand Centre for ‘criminals’ aged from 8 to 18. The four or five young teachers with the capacity to cope with the demanding situations meet up weekly with Sr. Grace or Jacinta Cardoza to re-focus, share or just unwind.

 

Another happy development in our I.J. mission in Myanmar has been the opening of Montessori Centres: there are now six, thanks to the training given by Teresa Santhanam (lay collaborator) and later Martina (now in the I.J. Novitiate) to nearly 100 young teachers.

 

Pastoral Care is now carried out in Nyaulangone among mainly Buddhists and Catholics. Here our lay collaborator Bridgit shares our mission and community life. The life is demanding in Nyaulangone – even reaching the village from Yangon means taking bus, taxi, motorbike or boat (in the heavy wet season).

 

Dispite the difficulties and challenges in our Myanmar Mission, we are very happy serving the Lord and His people.