The toilets ( 4 children can use it simultaneously ) and water pump were completed. 450 bags of cement were used to build the school building, toilets and the water pump which is below the estimate of 501 bags. Water pump cost is on the high side because of the depth of over 500 feet to access drinkable water. The local drinks straight from the pump.

Several FFM logos were plastered on the front side of the slab roof which was a pleasant surprise. A suggestion was made to Ven. Sopaka to plaster the village name ( Myanmar ) and firefly mission ( English ) on the front side. That way we are able to differentiate the different schools being built with the pictures taken.

With the excess large sizes mild steel rods from Taman which are over the requirement to build the clinic, we can utilize it to build a pedestrian bridge. This would link The Pye Chaung ,Gyo Pyu, other villages on the same side of Nyein Oo monastery. With a large middle school at Nyein Oo, more students would be able complete their schooling at a higher level. There is possibility of summer classes being conducted for the surrounding villages when things settle down. The school term end in February and starts from June.

Since a clinic would be built in Nyein Oo, this bridge would also serve all the villages in the area to enable them to have basic health care. For some villages in the area connected, there would be no rowing of boats to reach for help in the event of emergency.

Personally, I do not think the cost would be high because whatever excess material ( about 6 tons ) from the building of the school would be used in the bridge construction.

At Nyein Oo, arrangement was made with Eden office to send 1,700 bags of cement to Maw Gyun villages on the 10 February, Tuesday.

After lunch we visited Po Chit, Tasay Chaung and Kenaso Chaunglay villages. All the buildings of the schools were at the early stages of construction and by mid April, all the school buildings should be completed.

Our last stop for the day was Lower Gyo Pyu village. One can walk to Po Chit from here however to reach Upper Gyo Pyu ( 1^st RC school ), it is a long swim. This village has a population of 320 with 84 families, 127 were decimated by Cyclone Nargis.

The destructive force washed the concrete water tank ( 5,000 gallon ) about 150 metres away. Presently, the monastery run school caters up to standard 8. The villagers had heard of Ven Sopaka the conditions for school building, 5 acres of land were to be donated for the use of school maintenance besides getting the necessary agreements and consensus among themselves. We returned to Maw Gyun for the night.

5 February Thursday

0800 – We departed Maw Gyun for Pyapon. Ven. Tejaniya waited for us and early lunch prepared. We left for Kyonthin village, the school was about 70 % completed. This school building was started about same time as Upper Gyo Pyu, due to lower level of expertise.We returned to Pyapon and handed 2 million kyats to Ven. Tejaniya. Ven Tejaniya told us that he was able to secure 1 ton of pyinkado ( hardwood ) at government price of 120,000 kyats for Byaingisi clinic and Kyonthin school.

We made a little detour to the Pyapon market before returning to Yangon.

6 February Friday

We visited Scott market before we went to Eden office to thank WMK. From there, Ven. Aggasara and I went to Khemarama to dana Sis Cheng US$3,500.

Later, we went to see the engineer house, U Thein Htoo Aye, to get the mild steel rods estimate for the boy hostel  in Shwegyin. It was not ready because he just arrived from Maw Gyun in the morning. We return to the monastery and upon arrival, I handed the 30 million kyats to Ven. Sopaka for the remaining 4 schools in Maw Gyun.

10 February Tuesday

Loading 1,700 bags of cement for Po Chit, KenasoChaunglay, Tasay & Nyein Oo ( Maw Gyun Township ) for departure on the 11 February.

11 February Wednesday

Collected paint and accessories for Kyonthin school. We picked up the engineer, U Thein Htoo Aye at his house and fetched Ven. Aggasara at the Highway bus station. From there we went to Pyapon, upon arrival at Ven. Tejaniya’s monastery, 5 of us went to Byaingisi clinic. The clinic building is in the process of placing the framework for the roof and plastering of the walls. It was unexpected that they done so much since they started late. They requested paints and I told them that I will send. We returned to Pyapon in the dark.

12 February Thursday

0715 – Departed for Bogale with Ven. Aggasara, Ven. Tejaniya, U Thein Htoo Aye. Win Aung was there to meet us. We took another route for Nyein Oo towards the south which I told was shorter. We stopped at Gyo Phyu for Ven. Tejaniya to take a look at the school which was in process of painting. After that we went to Nyein Oo for lunch. Concrete pouring for the final roof slab was taking place. The 1^st crew ( 30 volunteers from the village ) started at about 0800 and the next 30 completed the job about 1430.

During that time, the boat,  Aung San Maw, carrying the cement arrived to discharge the  cargo.

We also discussed about taking out the excess material from Taman village.

Return to Maw Gyun town in the evening.

13 February Friday

Taman village.

0815 – Ven. Aggasara, Ven. Tejaniya, Ven. Pannajota, U Thein Htoo Aye, Win Aung and I departed for Taman village. The clinic building is near to completion and all the reinforced structures were done and walling of the rooms was taking place.

14 February Saturday

0800 – Departed Maw Gyun and arrived Pyapon 1045. Along the way, the van’s fan belt was badly frayed and we reckoned that it would not make the journey into Dedaye. So we decided to stop in Pyapon to get it changed before we return to Yangon. Khin Naing called his office to send a fan belt because there is no fan belt for the van in Pyapon. I decided to go into Kyonthin with Ven. Aggasara and Ven. Tejaniya leaving Khin Naing at the monastery. When we returned from Kyonthin, we learned from Khin Naing that the van sending the van had an accident. The front tyre punctured and we speculated that the young driver braked which caused the van to roll over.  It was fortunate that the driver survived without injury and the mechanic needed only 5 stitches. As a result we had to stay for the night in Pyapon.

15 February Sunday  

0745 - We left for Gwe Kone leaving Khin Naing behind because we reckoned that it would only get fixed after noon. We had to stop at another village about 1 mile from Gwe Kone because the small river leading to the village was temporarily dam up to enable hot season rice to be grown. It would remain dam up for about a week.  We stopped at a villager’s house, someone was sent to call the school committee chairman. Ven. Tejaniya told the chairman to see him at Pyapon regarding the school before he goes to about government office. We reached Pyapon about 1140, the 2 venerables get off at Pyapon jetty and I was left behind to proceed to the monastery.

About 1300, Eden’s mechanic arrived with the fan belt and by 1330 we were on our way back to Yangon. When we arrived Hlaing Thayar, we went into the warehouse to alight the mechanic. At the warehouse we saw the usual van which we used for travelling, a total wreck. It was our favourite vehicle because it could be fixed with parts that are easily available along the route.

16 February Monday 

Drop into Eden’s office and spoke to the accident driver in his late twenties, I asked him whether he had step on the brake when the front tyre puncture. His reply was affirmative just as I suspected all along. I explained how could the van rolled over during braking at high speed with great differential forces. WMK met me and he said that I could continue using the same van.

I sent Ven. Aggasara to the bus station and later return to buy paint for Byaingisi cilnic.

18 February Wednesday

0825 – Collected the paint for Byaingisi and Taman, from the shop we headed straight Pyapon. I called Ven. Tejaniya from Eden’s warehouse telling him about our arrival. We went to Byaingisi village after we arrived at Pyapon town taking along few drums of paint with us, leaving the remainder at the monastery.

At Byaingisi village, I saw the rafters are all in placed waiting for the roofing to be placed. I noticed the clinic entrance door and all the interior frames, lying on the ground, were of same sizes. I remarked to Ven. Tejaniya this is not usual. Normally, the entrance to the building should be bigger than the rest with the interior door width smaller. He agreed with me and he also realized Kyonthin school entrance doors are too small. So he decided to change 2 of the 3 doors of the clinic with Kyonthin. It was lucky that Kyonthin doors are not permanent attached to the wall so change could be done.

Later, at BG Maung Maung Aye’s brother house, I learned they had made 42 trips sending building materials to the village. Logistically, this is the most difficult village because of the shallow water which means bigger boat cannot be accommodated. 

19 February Thursday

0725 – Depart for Bogale, Ven. Pannajota and another venerable from Htiyali other than our usual party fetched us. Together we went to Taman to deliver the paint and at the same time clarify some matters with the village head, Win Zaw.

He signed for the paint and accessories which I had bought. Having seen the advance stage of the clinic building, we told him some of the cement were expired and it is obvious that they do not need so much cement to finish the building ( about 170 bags remain ). We would collect it tomorrow and at the same pay him for the items he had bought.

20 February Friday

We went to Taman village and was informed the village head Win Zaw was on urgent business to Bogale town. There was a festival in the village and the workers had stopped working on the clinic. In the meantime, we made the assessment on the number of bags of cement to be collected.

We left the site manager to do his job and went to Bogale town and managed to locate him. Lunch was at Bogale town because Ven. Pannajota was with us and it was close to noon.

We returned to Taman village leaving Win Zaw to finish his business in Bogale, met our cargo boat on the way to Taman. From there we return to Nyein Oo without dropping into Taman village.

At Nyein Oo, a new site was selected for the bridge because it is narrower and further away from the side stream. It is a better location because the side stream flowing into the larger stream would erode the soil around the initial site.

From Nyein Oo, we left for Pyapon.

21 February Saturday

After breakfast, we left for Kyonthin village. The school building was being placed with the rafters. The engineer, Thein Htoo Aye, talked to the workers. I commented to Ven. Tejaniya that his contracter is slow and the construction started about the same time ( about mid-November ) as Gyo Phyu school, Gyo Phyu school is completed together with the toilet facilities. The contractor has moved to Tasay Chaung, it looks like it is going to finish about the same time as Tasay Chaung. It was fortunate that he hired the contractor base on contract. If not he had to pay him more than what had been estimated on the school plan.

General

Bad news, the kyats strengthened. As far as I remember, this is the first time the kyats gain since the 1980’s.

Good news, some of the materials come down and the actual school building cost is below the plan estimate. We should be able to build the clinic at Nyein Oo for about S$25,000 base on Taman clinic design. I requested them to give me detail of all the costs which would be used as a reference for future clinic should there be a donor.

I was told Yetwinkone clinic ( Maw Gyun Township ) is being built by UNDP.

·   Ziphyu ( actually 4 villages ) – would be using the money to build one well per village.

·   Shauk Chaung - would be using the money to build foot path.

·   Nyein Oo – would be using the money to pay the teacher’s salary and others.

·   The Pye Chaung – be using the money to build a small bridge.

·   Kyar Chaung – would be managed by the monastery as decided by the villagers.

Shwegyin

Money was handed to Ven. Aggasara for the boy’s block and building would commence on the 2 March. The engineer and I would be leaving for Shwegyin this weekend. He had collected the steel bars for the boy hostel from our local partner. The girl hostel is completed.

Gyo Phyu

Preliminary cost of the school is about 17,600,000 kyats ( S$1 = 850 ), base on present exchange rate of 700, we are back to the square one of about S$25,000.

Ven. Sopaka reminded me about the furniture for the schools and we would have to set aside some money for the purpose.

23 February Monday

I went to settle the account with the local partner. We are indeed fortunate because the exchange rate for the last 100K is 675 against the S$. For almost 30 years the kyats never strengthened against other currency. This is unprecedented, I have never seen the kyats appreciated so much and Eden manager agreed with my observation.

Any visitors in March? It is getting hotter earlier than expected. In April, it would be closed for 10 days ( water festival ).

Metta/Thks,

chan

P.S.

Please let me have the name of the donors on the plaque for the following;

1.     Gyo Phyu Lower ( sponsor by Sis Cheng family, last school )