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Mike and Tricia Karpfen created the Shanta Foundation, a federally recognized 501(C)3, in 2006 after their visit to numerous countries in SE Asia and southern Africa. Moved by the unfailing generosity of those who had so little and the realization that a few dollars goes a long way in these countries, Mike and Tricia decided to make this work an active part of their lives.
Myanmar Today
"At least a third of all children are malnourished in this country and 132,000 children under five die every year because of avoidable diseases," says Andrew Kirkwood of Save the Children. "Aid to this country is about $3 per person per year which puts it among the lowest three countries in the world. I just think that's inexcusable."
Hardest hit are the young. Less than 50 per cent of children will complete five years of education. They also suffer from a range of diseases including Aids and tuberculosis.
The malnourished are not only in the remote rural areas but also in the larger cities like Yangon. In the slums of the former capital the smiles of the children playing in the dirt belie the hardships and daily battle for survival that goes on throughout the entire country.
Chris Kaye of the World Food Programme says abject poverty is a fact of life for millions across the country. There is, he says, "a complete lack of access to basic social services whether its health facilities, or whether its water sanitation.
"We're talking about rural communities in areas that are extremely remote. Roads are extremely poor and travel conditions are extremely hazardous. The life that people lead in some of these communities is just extraordinary."
To fully understand Myanmar (formerly Burma) today, it is important to first step back about 60 years and see what Myanmar once was. Following World War II and Rangoon's subsequent fight for independence from Britain, Myanmar was poised to play a significant and positive role in the region and the world.
Under British administration, Myanmar was one of the wealthiest countries in Southeast Asia. Myanmar enjoyed some of the highest rates of enrollment in primary and secondary schools in Asia, and boasted a well-educated, highly regarded civil service. It had an elected government, a functioning economy and was for some time the world's largest rice exporter.
In 1961, U Thant, then Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Secretary to the Prime Minister, was elected Secretary-General of the United Nations; he was the first non-Westerner to head any international organization and would serve as UN Secretary-General for ten years.
Sadly, this scenario is very different today. In 1962, the government was taken over in a coup d’etat by the military. Myanmar is now one of the poorest nations in the world, suffering from decades of stagnation, mismanagement, and isolation.
The average household spends 70% of its income on food, and anecdotal evidence indicates that even the middle class is struggling just to survive. Meanwhile, according to its own most recent budget, the regime annually spends $1.10 per citizen on education and 40¢ on healthcare, compared to $400 on each soldier. Two percent of pregnant women are HIV positive and 600,000 new cases of malaria and 97,000 cases of TB are documented annually. In the rural areas, 66% of the children are malnourished and average schooling lasts only two to three years.
In the past ten years the government has placed significant restrictions on NGOs and UN agencies providing much-needed humanitarian assistance. Just last year, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria terminated its Burma program citing lack of access to project sites and restrictions on its procurement of medical supplies. This year the International Red Cross closed most of it’s offices.
There are over 140,000 refugees in Thailand; Malaysia and Bangladesh host 40,000 refugees among them; and there are an estimated 50,000 refugees in India. There are also an estimated 500,000 internally displaced persons in the country.
This calls out for our involvement.
95% of the Myanmar people are farmers and rice accounts for 97% of the total food production. In 1989, the Myanmar government began decentralizing economic control which has allowed its’ citizens to create and manage their own businesses. This has encouraged international tourism as much of the money now ends up in the hands of the citizens rather than the government-run tourist industry. Other industries in Myanmar include textiles, wood products, construction materials, gems, metals, oil and natural gas that are highly desired by China, India and Thailand.
Myanmar has a population of approximately 50 million, though no trustworthy nationwide census has been taken since 1931. It is ethnically diverse and the government recognizes 135 distinct ethnic groups. Buddhism is practiced by 89% of the population and Myanmar is one of the most predominantly Buddhist countries in the world.
In a traditional Burmese village, the monastery is the centre of cultural life. Monks are venerated and supported by the lay people. It is compulsory for all boys of Buddhism to enter the monastery for a short period of time. The monastery often provides care and a good education for children whose families cannot provide for them or are no longer living.
