“If the children are deprived from education, they are bound to remain poor for the whole of their life.””
Dr Nehkholal leads the children in prayer before they go out on their annual Christmas field trip.
The class of 2018/2019 preparing for graduation to kindergarten
Education remains one of the most effective means for escaping extreme poverty. MyHope is dedicated to doing what we can, with God’s help and with the help of our partners, to provide the opportunity for a good education for as many children as possible, starting with preschool.
The Story of Hope Preschool
Hope Preschool, located in the city of Tamu, in Sagaing Region, was started in 2010 by the elders and families of Tamu Christian Church after the central government passed a new law requiring all children entering kindergarten to at least know the Burmese alphabet and basic numbers.
Many tribal families in rural northwest Myanmar do not speak Burmese, so this placed a great burden on them. They realized that the only way for their children to learn basic Burmese would be to attend an expensive private preschool, or to attend a Burmese (Buddhist) preschool. The Christian parents could neither afford a private school, nor did they want their children learning to practice Buddhism. (The schools taught Buddhist prayers, chants, and practices in addition to Burmese letters and numbers).
A young lady volunteered to teach the children of Tamu Christian Church, and the elders made the church building available for a small private school. Initially, children from twelve families attended the new school.
It quickly became apparent that this was a ministry that MyHope could support. These were children that might someday be able to attend Hope Boarding School in Yangon, and they were meeting in the building constructed with funds donated by MyHope.
We began seeking out friends in America who could help support this ministry, and by January, 2011, a brand new building was under construction to house the preschool. Funds were donated to help pay the teacher and an assistant a monthly salary. A few pieces of playground equipment were constructed to give the children a place to play. Over the next few years a light truck was purchased to help with transportation, and two more women began assisting teaching the children. In 2018 there were thirty-eight children enrolled, and so far over 220 children have passed through the classroom of Hope Preschool.
The Future
Hope Preschool has a lot of potential for growth, as many more families would like to send their children. However, the space available for teaching the children is severely limited. We hope to move the preschool facility to a larger campus sometime in the next few years, if the Lord is willing and if enough funds are donated.
Providing a quality education remains one of the most effective means for helping families escape extreme poverty. MyHope is dedicated to doing what we can, with God’s help and with the help of our partners, to provide the opportunity for a good education for as many children as possible. Will you partner with us to improve and expand our facilities so that even more families can be helped?