PROSPECT BURMA Keeping the Flame of Education Alive

Inside Burma

INTENSIVE ENGLISH PROGRAMME

Mai Ja Yang Village, Kachin State, Burma

BRITISH COUNCIL ENGLISH CLASSES

Rangoon, Burma

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Prospect Burma was set up

in 1989 to help fill the

educational vacuum arising

from the upheavals of 1988..

We have grown from

awarding a solitary

scholarship in 1992 to giving

almost 150 grants every year.

It is a condition of all

Prospect Burma scholars that

they pledge to return to

Burma when feasible and

to use the skills they have

acquired for the benefit of

the Burmese people.

Of our 2010

graduates we know that over

75% of them are already

either working in Burma or

on the borders.

Our major contribution

inside Burma is, therefore,

the work being done by the

Prospect Burma alumni who

have returned.

We are convinced that

investing in the education of

Burma’s young people will

help to bring about positive

change in their country.

“Being supported by Prospect Burma has not only

been a privilege but also a constant reminder of

the ambition and hope that I have for my

homeland. I volunteer regularly to translate

reports on human rights abuses in rural Burma.”

Prospect Burma Alumni

Back Home

“I’m working on a Post Nargis response project.

The PB Scholarship Programme makes great

impact on me and the communities of my country

because I can serve my people by applying the

knowledge gained from my studies supported by

it. During my studies, I had to learn too many

social science disciplines such as health sociology,

health economics, psychology and anthropology.

Moreover, social science perspectives and research

methodologies improve my ability to conduct

social research. Knowledge gained from those

courses help me to accomplish the project

planning and implementation successfully.

For example, during my study, I had to learn

various concepts of social theories which are very

useful for finding out and solving of health

problems in my communities. The course of

health economics is applicable in allocation of

funding in my project and I could able to manage

the activities against the budget allowed in order

to get cost effectiveness.

I am very pleased to upgrade my abilities to serve

my country ”

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Since 2004, Prospect Burma has been

supporting an

Intensive English Programme

in Mai Ja Yang on the Burma/China border.

Anxious for progress in their

communities, this non–governmental

programme was started by local

Kachin people who were desperate to

upgrade the level of English amongst

their youth.

The residential school admits up to

40 students aged between 16 and 23

years old for a ten month course, and

has five full time teachers,

three computer instructors and

administrative staff.

The pupils are drawn from all over

Kachin state, and include graduates

of a local teacher training college

whose head teacher was a former

Prospect Burma scholar.

Having completed their course,

over 150 students have gone on to

become English teachers throughout

Kachin State, some are working for

an orphanage in Mai Ja Yang,

15 have joined NGOs, 20 have

graduated from Theological Colleges

and others have continued their

studies abroad.

Intensive English

Programme

Mai Ja Yang

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In 2009, the Intensive English Programme moved to share a larger campus with another

local institute, but their objectives remain the same:

To give Kachin youths intensive English tuition

To give students access to the Internet

To develop confidence, self-reliance,

social responsibility and critical thinking

To develop awareness of the environment

To benefit their own communities

For oral fluency, language activities such as story telling,

poetry recitals and English songs have been introduced,

and students are encouraged to write journals.

Activities include games, morning exercises, and

gardening—over 130 young macadamia trees were

planted last year and the school grows its own vegetables.

Each student has access to computers three hours a week

and the older students have access to the internet.

Progress tests are carried out three times during each

course and prizes are awarded by the school committee.

The committee, which monitors the school’s progress,

is made up of local authority personnel, members of the

Education Department and IEP teaching staff.

Prospect Burma receives regular reports from the

School Principal, and makes an annual contribution in the

region of £4,500 towards salaries for the staff.

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“I would like to say thank you that

you gave the opportunity to attend

the British Council.

My knowledge of English has

helped me in teaching children

and sharing among my colleagues.

I am working as a project

organiser and my responsibilities

include developing education

programs for vulnerable children,

monastic schools and nunnery

schools. I am also in charge of a

project for disabled people. I have

been doing reading activities and

teaching English to blind children

for over a year now. I am really

interested in doing humanitarian

activities and try and become a

good community worker.”

In 2007, Prospect Burma started to fund Burmese

students studying English at The British Council

in Rangoon. We are currently funding courses for Burmese students, including former political prisoners, who come from all

over Burma. They go on to work in education, medicine, and with

local NGOs, some of them apply to us for scholarship grants.

Here, two of our students write about themselves.

“I am a 25 year old Muslim girl and I graduated from

university in 2005. As soon as I got my degree, I joined a

centre for the care of disabled children as a volunteer

physiotherapist as I wanted to help people as much as

possible and live in an environment that has plenty of

peace and pleasure. I also volunteered at a hospital for a

year. Later, it became apparent to me that doing community

work is a kind of treasure for me. Therefore, I joined several

organizations not only in the medical field but also others

like doing assessments of monasteries for educational

support. Now, I am working as project coordinator of a free

healthcare clinic and also helping in a charity education

centre that is run by a self help group and especially for

English language.

I am keen on learning new things. However, I did not have

much chance in my childhood as I had to study and learn

things by heart according to the education system in our

country. The thing that appeals to me about learning at the

British Council is that I gain English skills and improve my

thinking and communication skills at the same time. Now, I

feel confident to speak English with any foreigner . I am

also ready to cascade my skills to my community especially

for the development of Myanmar.”

British Council

English Students

Rangoon

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KNOWLEDGE IS A TREASURE NO ONE CAN STEAL

If you would like to contribute

please contact us or see

How to Help on our website.

PROSPECT BURMA Keeping the Flame of Education Alive

UK Registered charity no 802615

PROSPECT BURMA PORTERS’ LODGE

RIVERMEAD COURT

RANELAGH GARDENS

LONDON SW6 3SF

TEL: +44 (0) 20 7371 0887

WWW.PROSPTECTBURMA.ORG