Har Lo School, Kyaing Tong, Myanmar

The 46 children in Har Lo Village have never had the chance to go to school. The closest primary school is a two hour walk away across dangerous mountains. The community has always lived in poverty, surviving on farming and raising livestock.

Har Lo Village is made up of Lahu people, a hill-tribe who have always been subject to discrimination. They speak an indigenous dialect, so even if there was a government school nearby, students would not understand their teachers.

The children love attending UWS Har Lo that was founded in 2019. Students there now have the opportunity to learn to read, write and count, as well as to learn the national language of Myanmar, Burmese. Without command of the Burmese language, children in Myanmar grow up to become adults who will have difficulty participating in national society. Students who complete their primary education at a UWS school must speak and read Burmese if they plan to go on to secondary, or high school. With a high school education, they can train to be teachers, health care workers or other specialties. Many students and their parents are choosing to get a good education so that they can contribute to the health and well-being of their community and break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy that so often cause life to be very challenging. With the support that UWS is providing, we will ensure that UWS Har Lo school continues to thrive and children are given a pathway to secondary school and the chance at a prosperous future.