Sayadaw Dhammapiya’s new school for orphans is about 30 miles north of Yangon near the No 3, Baho road. The children survived Cyclone Nargis but lost parents and family in Laputta Township, which was severely damaged. Currently cared for by monks and villagers near their homes, they will move into the Metta Nanda School soon. The new school is being constructed with donations flowing from the Sayadaw’s supporters of his California monasteries, as well as donors in Myanmar. Recall that he led emergency medical aid teams at two week intervals after Nargis into the delta and established a strong NGO network.
Metta Nanda school’s library has appropriate texts and reference books supplied with funds raised at our charity book fair in March. The school with dormitories is located on 22 acres of farm land donated for this purpose. Already two younger monks are teaching 70 local children in a temporary monastery adjacent to Nwe Kwe village.
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- Built by village donors to the monastery
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- 22 acre farm donated for school
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- In front of his school
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- Dr. Thant Thaw Kaung & Dr. May Moe Nwe
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- Although a private school, fees will not be charged.
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- Students of Ashin Dhammapiya
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- We visit Mitta Nanda
The budget for Metta Nanda School exceeds $200,000, most of which is already raised, so the construction continues as rapidly as the monsoon rains permit. Sayadaw Dhammapiya told me in April that he expects to open this fall and bring the children up as each dormitory room is completed, with a total of 250 expected by year’s end. These photos taken yesterday reveal what has been completed and what remains to be done.
Drs Thant Thaw Kaung and Dr. May Moe Nwe drove yesterday to meet the Sayadaw and several donors. He often spends Sundays at the project. One of the teaching nuns involved in this project was his childhood friend. Enclosed are photos I took in April of these local pongyi teachers.
As noted in the description of the plantation, this project involves a very ambitious learning scheme. Subscribers to the Whole Earth Catalog would approve. Few schools in the West have such a complete concept of working with children of poverty to teach them basic learning skills, as well as science-based farming skills.
Their curriculum involves guest teachers from abroad and Myanmar faculty of teaching colleges who want to work with Sayadaw Dhammapiya to create a curriculum suitable to the 21st century. I doubt any other school in the country has as many progressive goals as does this one.
The library we are contributing, with books and training aids such as computers and access to the global internet, is a crucial part of this program.
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