BURMA:
Our work in Yangon has the potential to increase so much that we have to now think about how we can sustain future growth. We care for about thirty young people there but realisitically the numbers could easily boost out to fifty. Like many of our other projects, in the end it is more economical to have our own premises and thus cease renting. Our Burmese board there recently advised us of a 1.25 acre (5050sq.m) piece of land for sale that is situated in a good location. It is about forty minutes outside of the city. This property values at about US$40,000 (NZ$53,000). While this would be great it is nevertheless a little pricey unless of course following purchase we subdivide off half an acre and sell it. Anyway, the bottom line is that soon we will need to purchase and then relocate both our boys’ and our girls’ work out onto the land.
We have one other potential project that we are planning on commencing – in Calcutta, India.
CALCUTTA:
During December 2007 we made our third trip to Calcutta. It is always a mind blow. To compare the towering offices of the newly established multi-national computer software companies with the lives of the million or so impoverished souls whose regular dwelling is the footpath is an anthropologist’s dream.
The Trusty Footpath: Home to 1 million Calcuttan souls
Empower Asia believe that we are making progress toward establishing indigenously-run residential homes for poor kids who over a period of time will be trained up to reach out to their fellow Bengalis.
At this stage we are establishing a working committee that will investigate the characteristics of the children who we will accept as well as the qualifications necessary for the house parents. From there the search will begin for the “right” adult staff.
