Myanmar Is…
Myanmar is a country located in between the Indochinese Peninsula and the Indian Continent. The country is three times larger than the Korean Peninsula and has the population of 53,370,000. Although the Myanmar language is the official language, 135 minor ethnicities are using as many as 242 languages. So even Myanmar people need an interpreter to communicate with each other.
The country has a tropical monsoon climate which is good for agriculture. So it is possible to harvest different crops three times a year in the land. The country is abundant of rice, beans, corns and various tropical fruits as well as underground resources such as crude oil, iron ore, nickel and zinc. However, Myanmar is one of the least developed countries, where 32.1% of its population (approximately 17.13 million people) is living below the national poverty line due to political insecurity and social turmoil resulting from the civil war, military dictatorship and international sanctions. (World Bank, 2017)(World Bank, 2017)
In particular, 23% of Myanmar children are getting education and only 5% have children’s books, which demonstrates a very poor child education environment. (The State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World, UNICEF, December 2017)
Children’s Books Are Delivered to 330 Primary Schools in Myanmar
After deciding to donate children’s books to help kids learn their native language, develop emotions and thinking skills, HUMAN IN LOVE has been working on the selection of books and review on copyrights, translation, proofreading and local publication. On December 19, 2018, there was a book donation ceremony held at the National Education Policy Commission in Myanmar. After the ceremony, HUMAN IN LOVE delivered 4,100 books translated into the Myanmar language at 330 primary schools located near and inside of Yangon.
[ Book donation ceremony (2018.12.19/ Yangon, Myanmar, the National Education Policy Commission) ]
[ Four children’s books translated in the Myanmar language and published there ]
This time, HUMAN IN LOVE donated three children’s books published by HIL Global Contents Experts who are renowned children’s book authors. The three books are “Honeybee rescue team (author: Man-soo Kang)” which is about the importance of the environment and nature, “Coward wolf Khan (author: Jeong-jin Lim)” which is about how to live together without prejudice and discrimination, and “Is a caterpillar growing well on its own? (author: Susanna Ko)” which explains the life of insects in detail with pictures. Another book that was donated is “Elephant bathtub (author: Hae-wang Jeong)” which is based on a folktale of Myanmar. These four books cover universal values that are not violating Myanmar’s culture and customs. Especially, these books were translated by a Myanmar expert who majored in the Korean language and then proofread by local Myanmar writers and an officer (Ph.D. in linguistics) of the National Education Policy Commission.
The donation ceremony was participated by 60 guests including Hee-kook Lee (HIL Director General), Man-soo Kang, Jeong-jin Lim, Susanna Ko (HIL Global Contents Experts), Myo Kywe (Chairman of the National Education Policy Commission (NEPC)), U Nyi Hla Nge (vice chair of the NEPC), and officials of Education Office and principals in Yangon.
”“I’m so happy that Myanmar children can read children’s books written in their first language. I appreciate HUMAN IN LOVE for encouraging our children to have a dream through the books.”
– Myo Kywe (Chairman of the National Education Policy Commission) –
[ Hee-gook Lee at the kook donation ceremony ]
[ Myo Kywe (Chairman of the National Education Policy Commission) is giving a celebratory speech ]
”“There are a lot of stories and unexplored world in books. I hope Myanmar children can enjoy the pleasure of exploring a new world and reading books.”
– Hee-kook Lee (HIL Director General) –
Children Love To Read Books
From December 19 to 21, HUMAN IN LOVE visited four primary schools and one library to perform storytelling, poem recitation, children’s song singing and pan flute playing.
Children laughed out loud at a storytelling of “Red fan, blue fan” delivered by Expert Jeong-jin Lim while they were absorbed in a story where the main character encountered a problem.
[ Storytelling of “Red fan, blue fan” delivered by Expert Jeong-jin Lim ]
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s storyteller Taetae Jau joined this event. She delivered a storytelling of “It’s ㅁlright” with a Korean picture book to let children know their friends have their own strengths and they are precious.
When Man-soo Kang was reciting a children’s poem “Water drop,” they seemed a little bewildered maybe because the poem was strange to them, but soon they got interested in the expressions like “boink,” “plink,” “fump,” “ting,” and “pow”, and they learned the pleasure of citing a poem while they were presenting the sounds they made.
[ HIL Global Contents Experts are teaching “Three bears” song and dance ]
[ Children are excited to listen to a storytelling at no.1 primary school in Bahan Township ]
Along with children, three experts were singing and dancing to “Three bears” and “Winter wind” in both Mynamar and Korean. Kids were so excited to sing the songs they learned for the first time. Susanna Ko played “Arirang” with her pan flute and all the experts were singing to her pan flute playing.
The books were published thanks to the donation of the late Bok-yong Park
The late Bok-yong Park donated her inheritance as her will to make meaningful contributions, and her daughter-in-law Kyeong-ja Um delivered it to HIL to honor Ms. Park’s choice, asking to use the donation for children in the third countries. This is how these books were delivered thanks to the donation of the late Bok-yong Park. Once again, we’d like to extend our sincere gratitude the late Bok-yong Park and her bereaved families.
HUMAN IN LOVE will continue to carry children’s book donation projects so that children in less developed countries can explore a broader world and make their own stories. We’ll be appreciated for your continued interest and support. Thanks!
