Field Reports

Some Thoughts About Myanmar
I love working in Myanmar. Without a doubt the most difficult place for me to work, but also the most satisfying. Why? Let’s see if I can briefly summarize this.The need for help in Myanmar is immense. Just think about it for a moment. Here is a country — finally emerging from sixty years of rule by a heavy handed,

Report for the Baan Mae Ta Maew IT Training Program Project
Written by Carol Acosta, President of the Maechan, Thailand Rotary Club Submitted by Bill Taylor, International Service Chair, Rotary Club of Edmonds Daybreakers The dedication for Mae Ta Maew was held on Friday, Feb. 19th, 2021. It turned out to be an all-day event. Originally we had a group to go to the school but, because some had to attend

Report for the Ban Wiang Sa Water Purification Project
Written by Carol Acosta, President of the Maechan, Thailand Rotary Club Submitted by Bill Taylor, International Service Chair, Rotary Club of Edmonds Daybreakers All work was completed at Wiang Sa and the dedication held on Wednesday, February 17th. We wanted the kids to be present for the dedication and, as it turned out, many of our club members were able

Look What YOU Did
Look what YOU have done. Seriously. Take a look at what YOU have done in the last six months. Not me. Not the SE Asia Foundation. It’s what YOU have done. Without YOUR generous donations none of this would have happened. For that, we are most grateful. This has been a challenging time – to say the least. COVID has


Circle of Hope
How to pay less in taxes and help our kids at the same time Donations to the SE Asia Foundation before midnight on December 31 can lower your taxable income. So, of all the possible causes you could choose,why choose us? We are small enough that every donation you make to us really matters. It won’t get used up for

Impact
Impact really matters. We pay attention to impact. We focus on impact. We work to achieve as much impact as possible.In this newsletter today, I’ll share a few stories about the impact we are making and the changes we are bringing about in the lives of the many villagers we serve. Bill Taylor, Founder “It has made a huge impact

Gratitude
In these pandemic times it’s easy to get caught up in the maze of coping and forget how much we have to be thankful for. Bill Taylor, Founder I want you to know how grateful I am for you, and your interest and support. In the U.S. and Canada we have national holidays to reflect on such things; appropriately, both

Voices From the Field
Normally we use our newsletters to tell you stories about the good work you are funding and how that changes the lives of those we serve. This newsletter is a bit different. Today we bring you some voices from the field. These voices are from a group called PEPY – Empowering Youth, one of the many fine organizations we support

The Realities of COVID in Village Life
Yes, we’re facing a challenging time here in America. No doubt about it. Record levels of COVID. Lockdowns. Jobs lost. No fun at all. But yet, I count my blessings every day. Why would I do that? Simple answer. Because I know first-hand what it’s like for the villagers in Southeast Asia right now. In at least two of the

Sustainability: A Story of a Monk and His Machine
Here’s a story I love sharing – especially given our Foundation’s commitment to creating sustainability in those organizations we select for support. Meet U Vimala. (Oo-wee-mala) He’s the head monk

Searching for Sustainability
Philanthropy Is Never Enough. Every single day I spend working in SE Asia helping organizations do a more effective job of educating girls and providing job training for women, that

A Success Story — Thanks to You
Back in 2015 I visited a small Karin village about thirty minutes outside of Hpa-an, the capital of the Karin State in Myanmar. The 800 families living there had only

A Recent Trip to Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand
I’ve just returned from nearly five weeks in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. In this report I’ll give you a quick look at some (but not all) of the projects I

Lunch for 500
Shortly after we arrived at the Koenawin Monastery for our visit a couple of days ago, the Monk suddenly said: “The kids are coming. Let’s go for their lunch”. So,

The New Building at Koenawin
The highlight of my recent visit to the Koenawin Monastery was being there to celebrate the beginning of construction for their new dormitory for girls. You may recall from a

A Visit to the New Generation School
On a recent trip to Myanmar I visited an interesting school called Myo Set Thit. In Burmese that means “New Generation”. At this school, led by the impressive and inspirational,

People Joining Together to Help Each Other
Recently, our Myanmar Country Director, Treasure Shine, and I visited the Marga Society in Hpa-an, the capital city of the Kayin (Karen) State. In the Burmese language Marga means “blessing”

Mae Ab Education Center
Sometimes It Is Really Difficult To Say “No” Recently Carol, George, and I visited the village of Mae Ab where a dedicated group of volunteers is working to provide the

A Visit to the Guiding Star Monastery School
Recently we visited the Lan Pya Kyel Monastery School located about 45 minutes outside Hpa-an, Myanmar, the capital of the Karin State. In English Lan Pya Kyel translates to “Guiding