We were able to support a number of projects in 2015, here are just a few highlights from the year.

Presbyterian Youth training: Development Project

Myanmar is a country with a checkered political past. This year they held general elections for the first time in over 20 years. The Presbyterian Church of Myanmar (PCM) decided that it was important for the young people of their community to know about the history, current issues and their rights in order to be an informed and influential part of the future of Myanmar.

To address this, they ran a youth training course focusing on political and socio-economic issues. The training was held over four days and hosted by the Tahan Theological College. The key speaker was a political lecturer from Yangon who led the training alongside PCM leaders. Overall, 70-80 youth members attended the training from across 9 different synods.

Charles: Scholarship

We are pleased to share that Charles has successfully completed his Masters degree in Library and Information Science in the Philippines. He will be lecturing at the Tahan Theological College and leading their IT department as well as helping to train local churches and organizations with librarianship and document archiving. Congratulations Charles on your achievement.

Women’s Tailoring course: Income Generating

PCM have successfully completed the first round of the 3 month tailoring training. This course focused on providing

vocational training in order to provide skills that would lead to permanent and reliable income to women through

the set up of small businesses. With the grant from Rice Bowl Mission, PCM were able to employ a trainer, provide materials and also buy 16 sewing machines. We had 14 women complete the 3 month training and are excited to see what comes of their newly honed skills. The hope is to run this training again in the future so that more women get given this same opportunity.

 
Phai Synod Book Shop: Income Generating

This book shop has been running since 1984 and is a popular destination for students, churches and locals. They sell books and stationery at a low price, while catering to many different language groups, to ensure these resources are made accessible to a wide range of people. The income generated by this shop is fed back into the church and wider community.

The PCM asked for some funding to re-stock and refresh the shop, here is a note from Rev. Ling Zaw (General Secretary):

“The Phai Synod Bookshop is blessed and enriched by the PCANZ donation. It has been well managed under the Synod Communication Committee and Managing Committee. A large number of Holy Bible (English, Burmese, Mizo), Church Hymnary, Bible Dictionary, Commentary and Christian Literature are now available for the public (show in the photo to the left). Those were imported from Aizawl – Mizoram State, India. Newly published books are also stocked. Through the PCANZ Donation, the Synod also bought a new printing machine with the aim of publishing books for the Church and the society for the promotion of Book-room Fund.” 

 

Please take a moment to look at how you can give and continue to support projects like these in Myanmar through the work of the Rice Bowl Mission.