A CDM school
One of the local groups which we support has sent in this funding request to Better Burma. After having wrested control of a territory from the military, they have brought in CDM teachers to begin classes there, providing some sense of normalcy to the children caught up in this conflict. However, they do need support for the classroom materials. Please consider a contribution of any amount to help in this noble endeavor!
There is a township in the lower part of the Sagaing Region where local resistance groups are fighting tooth and nail against the military. According to a report in the Irrawaddy Burmese News, Sagaing had been a peaceful place since 1958, but since the coup it has been outside of the control of the Myanmar military and an area where local resistance groups have an overwhelming presence on the ground. This particular township has had its own militias defending the people and fighting the military since June 2021. One local resistance force has complete control of half of the township, mostly in the western and southern areas. While these forces continue to fight in areas of the township where the military is still active, they have recently launched a community program to educate children with the help of teachers who are part of the civil disobedience movement (CDM). They have five such teachers with around 100 students in the area under their control. The students are from three villages that were evacuated last month due to attacks by the military. Members of the township’s administrative committee who were connected to the local defense force contacted seeking support for their school, specifically for textbooks and stipends for the CDM teachers to ensure the long-term sustainability of the school. Their proposal is as follows:
I. One-time support
(1) 30 sets of textbooks for middle school students: MMK-13,000 x 30 = MMK-390,000
(2) 50 sets of textbooks for primary school students: MMK-9,000 x 50 = MMK-450,000
II. Monthly support for 6 months
(1) Stipends for CDM teachers: MMK-30,000 x 5 x 6 months = MMK-900,000
These children have not had access to education for over two years now. Government employees from many departments are maintaining the civil disobedience movement across the country, but they need the support of local people as well as the international communities.