Daw Pan Cho, teacher in Thani Bauk

 I am Daw Pan Cho from Thani bauk village. I wanted to write but this time I thought I should really write. You know I have lived in Thani bauk nearly twenty years. I have taught children nearly 20 years. I love children. I had visions for
the children. So I raised some students to come back to work in this village. One was my own daughter, the others were students of mine since they first learn to read and write. My daughter got four distinctions in 10 grade (9 standard). All of them died in Cyclone Nargis in 2008.  Before Nargis, I had 90 students.  Only 28 survived. 


But I still have hope for the children. Last school year 4 of my students went to Laputta to students’ competitions. 2 of them won the first price for Laputta township level. One in writing poem.  Surprisingly this student is not a Christian but he wrote a poem about Christmas and he won the first price. The other one got the first prize on Math. Their names are Thiha and Thura.


Last Summer the water dried up. There was no rain at all.

Completely dried pond due to lack of rain.

Completely dried pond due to lack of rain.

All the ponds dried up. Teacher Maera gave me some money to buy water. It was enough for a couple of days for drinking. I thank God and Joana and Maeram for that. My village doesn’t even have telephone. So it’s hard to communicate with other villages, even harder to communicate with you teachers. But I trust you that you pray for me and for the children. I pray for you too. May God bless you.

 

Notes:  Daw Pan Cho survived Nargis by clinging to a tree, but lost most of her teeth.  She serves as educator and minister in this village as part of a promise she made to God during the storm.  In another letter, Daw Pan Cho writes…

I have taught in Thani Bauk village for over 10 years.  Nobody supported me until Asian Children’s Mission.  The village elders promised me about $50 a month, but I never received until you supported me.  

I love the children and that is why I teach.  I teach 19 kindergarten kids from 7-9:30 am.  From 10 am to 4 pm I teach grades 1-5.  Then from 5:00 – 6:30 I teach kindergarten again.  My time is always talking and teaching.  Sometimes I wonder why…But I want these children to be educated.  I would be so happy if any of these children could get college or university education and become a teacher.

Thani Bauk is off the road.  People cannot get there easily.   The boats don’t even go in our direction, unless you hire a boat.

Asian Children’s Mission is raising funds to build a safe building for the school, which can also serve as a shelter in case of a major storm.