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More details from Fr Kevin
(November 2008)
The sisters of the Apparition run about five orphanages
around Burma, There is one in Zawgyi which is near Mandalay. I went to
that one and gave them money from the parish to keep them going. There
were also another Three orphanages around Mandalay two in Anapuna a boy
and girls one. The boy orphanage moved to Chathagon by Mandalay airport.
Here also we donated money and materials to sustain them.
On my last trip the sisters asked if we could fund the building of an
orphanage in a very poor area which was on the outskirts of Rangoon. That
is the orphanage at Hmbwi which pictures you can see above.
The background to the involvement of the parish with the sisters came
through some good friends of mine who are Burmeese. I visited Myanmar
(Burma) in 2005 with them and it was while I was there that I met the
Sisters of the Apparition who ministry was to teach the poor children
whose parents could not afford an education for them. They also ran orphanages
for the many abandon children in Myanmar. I asked the sister to write
to the parish asking for assistence.
The parish was willing to give that assistance and a committee was formed
to
help the sisters by raising monies for the upkeep, clothing and education
of
the children under the sisters care. The sister asked if we as a parish
could finance a wall around a compound that they had in Hmbwi on the
outskirts of Yangon (Rangoon) which was used for a school to teach the
local
poor children and grow vegetables for the sisters. They needed a wall
because the locals were not only stealing their vegetables but also stealing
the land. The parish agreed and we raised the £10,000 needed.
In 2007 Sr Marie and Sister Ann came to thank the parish for their generous
support, and gave a presentation to the parish and asked if we could fund
the building of a new orphanage in Hmbwi, where we had just financed the
wall. The parishioners took up the challenge and in the last 18 months
have
raised a total of £22,500 toward the cost of the orphanage. As it
turned out
the unfinished orphanage became a home for many children who were orphaned
by the cyclone. God does work in mysterious ways!
The original cost was aproximantly going to be £25,000 but because
of the surge in prices and the credit crunch that has risen to £30,000.
The parish has also a long term plan to help the sisters in the great
work that they do. So that when we eventually pay for the orphanage we
will also help and support the children who go through it with clothes
food and education.
At the moment because of the cyclone a few months back even though the
orphanage is not complete there are many children there who were orphaned
through the cyclone living there.
I will be going to the opening of the orphanage in Febuary 2009. If any
one who is reading this page would like to donate any money to this worthy
cause please send the money to the Burma Orphanage Appeal
via the parish address:
Parish Office, Immaculate Conception Church
63-67 Yorktown Road
SANDHURST
UNITED KINGDOM
GU47 9BS
Tel: +44 (0) 1252 876 820
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