The staff members of The Golden House and The Hostel try to give the children in our residential groups an existence as carefree as possible. That is not easy, because Myanmar is literally and figuratively on fire. Since the military coup in February 2021, the military junta has been waging a true reign of terror. A huge popular uprising has arisen against this and young people have taken up wapons together with the ethnic rebel armies. The armed struggle is increasingly moving towards the big cities, such as Mandalay, where the school of our projects is located.
Although the school is under strict supervision of the military, it is still relatively quiet there. The children can go to school every day, do their homework, get their food and drink and have space for recreation. The staff organizes activities and games on the school grounds during the weekends. Due to high inflation, food has become very expensive. The meals are quite one-sided. As a foundation, we ensure that fruit can be eaten a few times a week, so that the children still get the necessary vitamins.
Our staff members are personally struggling. They are very aware of the threat around them, but cannot show too much of it to the children. Hopefully the unrest will end soon, so that everyone in Myanmar can look to the future again and live with fewer worries.
