My name is Mang Mang and I live in Yangon, Myanmar, in a small apartment with my wife and young son, and twenty-one orphaned boys.
Over one million children in Myanmar are orphaned or abandoned; many are dumped by parents who cannot afford to keep them. You can be a part of the solution for my country. In Myanmar, we have a terrible problem; over one million babies and children are orphans, most of them living on the street. Children as young as three are rejected and abandoned, begging in the street simply to have enough food to stay alive. Often they are stolen, sold and badly abused. Child labour and child sex trafficking is a big problem here.
Although there are 24 of us living in our small apartment, we always have a wonderful time. The boys are all so lovely. We eat together, suffer together, pray together, and sing together.
I know that if these orphans are to have a good life, they need to be educated. Half of the children over 13 years old in Myanmar are no longer attending school. Extreme poverty forces young children to work to survive – dangerous work for long hours and in terrible conditions. Most of them only earning the equivalent of NZ$5 per month.
“The boys in our care have the opportunity to get a good education and to break the poverty cycle. My hope is that we can transform these boys into great men; men with a hope and a future. My wife and I are very thankful to the lord for giving us this exciting ministry.”
I would like to tell you how it has happened. Some years ago, the Lord gave me a vision to serve Him amongst these precious children who have been orphaned. I knew that this would be my life’s work and so I would need more education to fulfil this vision. I applied to Myanmar Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (MEGST) and I was very happy to be accepted to study for the Master of Divinity (Missions) degree.
My only concern was that of finances. My income was not enough to pay the fees, so I was deeply humbled to find out that Student Sponsors in NZ were paying $50 every month towards my study costs.
Because of the generosity of my Student Sponsors, I am so proud to now be a MEGST graduate. But I am just one man – and we need many more strong men and women to be educated!
That’s why I am asking you to give each month, so more future leaders like me can receive a life-changing education. Right now, there are over one hundred young future Christian leaders, waiting for student scholarships so that they can receive an education.
Not only has attending MEGST changed my life, it has changed the lives of the orphans we care for. There is much change needed in Myanmar, but for this to become a reality we need more humble servant leaders who have been biblically trained. It is encouraging for me that there are many wonderful young men and women who have applied to study at MEGST this year, each of them following great visions and plans given to them by the Lord. Each of them has a dream to see transformation in this country and to be part of the solution. The only issue is that of finances.
The school year is about to start in Myanmar and there are students awaiting sponsorship, but without support, the future of these wonderful young people is uncertain.
“Not only has my life been changed because of Student Sponsors, but the lives of our 21 boys are transformed. You too can change lives by becoming a Student Sponsor today. Thank you for your support and commitment.”