Late last year Goducate visited Yangon and Mandalay in Myanmar to see whether we could play a useful part in helping the needy help themselves there. We identified one project in Yangon that we thought was worthwhile and that seemed to need much support. After monitoring the work out there in Yangon and after much deliberation at headquarters, Goducate revisited the team last month and decided to support that work.
Myanmar is opening up, and the ability to communicate well in English will be useful for finding jobs. One line of work that this team is doing is thus to teach English to very poor communities. So far the team is teaching English in four such communities. The teaching facilities are extremely basic, but the classes are much in demand. In some of these communities the classes are attended by both children and adults.
English class at ShwephitharChildren receiving notebooks and stationery at 87QuarterEnglish class at Kanna
Goducate’s Global Life Hub in Hyderabad, South India, was launched on 11 August 2012. Today, 6 months on, we have 100 members, of whom 30 are women. Some 50 members come regularly to enjoy the ambience, the activities, the free coffee, and to surf the internet.
We Indians have been brought up with the idea that only marks and grades guarantee a good fortune. Nevertheless, students are now realizing that grades alone are not enough for securing a job. Every year India produces thousands of graduates of all specialties, yet few of them fit into professional life in multinational companies. And this is due to lack of confidence, poor ability to communicate in English, and insufficient knowledge of the wider world.
The aim of the Global Life Hub is to provide a place with an international ambience where students can develop the skills they need by talking and chatting to other students and people from different countries, by learning to think creatively, and by practicing how to communicate well.
To help the members learn about international culture and lifestyles we have invited foreign business consultants to talk about life and opportunities for employment and further studies in their countries. In addition, we have 2 American teams who come to interact with the members every week. Members were also exposed to foreign culture, traditions, and food habits through a baking session in December.
To expose the students to life in the corporate world we have invited software engineers from large multinational corporations to share their experiences.
To help members learn to speak English well and confidently, we hold sessions on pronunciation and accents, and on public speaking. An example of a speaking activity was the one held a couple of weeks ago, when members were asked what sections they would include, and why, if they were given a chance to edit a new magazine for teenagers. They had to choose from a list of sections, such as, music, fashion, problem page, study opportunities, summer jobs, astrology, health, etc. Each was given 3 min to talk about their choice, and they came up with some creative ideas.
I think we are achieving our goal. Those members who come regularly have become more confident, have become more creative in their thinking, and have overcome their fear of addressing a crowd.
fun with American friend“Hmm, what sections should I include in the magazine?”
One of Goducate’s learning centers in Sabah commemorated its first anniversary in an unusual way. The 60-plus students attending the two classes at this center underwent a de-worming session.
The teachers at our learning centers have observed that most of their children are malnourished, lethargic, and have a short attention span. These symptoms are very likely due to parasitic worm infestations and lack of a well-balanced diet.
The event started with a health talk for both the children and their parents on parasitic worm diseases commonly seen in Southeast Asia. One of the contributing factors to parasitic worm infestation is that many of these kampong (village) kids grow up playing barefooted in the muddy soil below their houses, which are built on stilts above the mangrove swamps along the river banks or sea shores. Because of poor sanitation practice as well as poor hygienic practices, the soil becomes an excellent breeding ground for parasitic worms. As I spoke, I could see the parents nodding their heads in agreement with the various signs and symptoms I showed. Some of the parents could also share their own experiences of having parasites when they were young. I was happy to hear of their personal experiences because it will make it much easier for them to recognize and detect early parasitic worm infestation in their children. The kids expressed their dread of the outcome of parasitic infestations and couldn’t wait to learn how to avoid acquiring worms.
It was a good opportunity to reinforce the importance of observing personal hygiene, in particular through proper handwashing. During the handwashing demonstration, I was pleased to see so many of the parents actively going through the motions of the basic 7 steps of handwashing.
The session ended with distribution of deworming medication to all the students who were present that day. Goducate thanks the generous sponsors for the medical supplies and hopes to expand this de-worming program to the rest of our learning centers in Sabah the near future.
kids barefoot in the mudParents following good handwashing technique
