Comprehensive, Sustainable Programming
- Leadership and Capacity Building
Integral to all of Shanta’s programming is capacity and leadership training that empower individuals and the communities we partner with to take on change themselves. Community programs require active participation and ample contributions from all villagers.
Education
Shanta’s goal is to inspire a love of learning and empower younger generations by providing positive school experiences and enabling a comprehensive education to affect long-term change.
Preschool Program
Myanmar has no central preschool programmiing so young children are not exposed to the socialization and healthy brain development that early childhood education offers.
- - Our dynamic programs engage the 3 – 5 year olds on many levels to maximize their interaction with a wide variety of materials, ideas and people.
- - Villages construct preschool buildings and train young women to begin their careers in Early Childhood Care and Development.
- New Primary School Construction
- With a partnership community, we construct new school buildings made from concrete block with plenty of operable windows, desks and chairs and best of all, separate classrooms for each grade.
- - Villagers contribute sand, lime, block, all the labor and a portion of the hard costs.
- - 95% of all children are now graduating from primary school.
Scholarships for Higher Education
Village children rarely go beyond primary level because middle and high schools are far from their village and require boarding fees and other expenses. Families understand the importance of a good education but simply cannot afford the additional costs.
- Shanta supports village families by equally sharing these costs enabling 70% of children to attend middle and high school.
Health Care
Shanta’s health programs seek to improve availability, accessibility, affordability and sustainability of medical services.
- Our Village Nurse-Midwife Program trains the first generation of community health leaders. After a 6-month course that includes clinical rotations, these women become healthcare providers for their communities, providing affordable antenatal care, contraception options, and general medical care.
- Volunteer Village Health Educators facilitate workshops for groups of young mothers on preparing for delivery, infant care, hygiene and nutrition.
- Families receive grants for medical needs from the village Development Fund, which is financed by the interest from each village’s Community Loan Fund.
- Shanta’s Dental Program focuses on education and treatment for children so they can create life-long practices that will affect their health well into adulthood. This program is in memory and recognition of Durango, CO dentist Tom Gram’s commitment to the needs of the world’s poorest.
Increasing Economic Opportunities
Improved family income offers security and independence, and provides the ability to envision and implement long-term change. Shanta’s goal is for villages to become self-sufficient with respect to the development and funding of family and community improvement projects.
Community Loan Funds
Integral to the sustainability of our work are Community Loan Funds that operates like a village-run bank, enabling villagers to borrow money at a reasonable interest rate. Established with a matching grant from Shanta, they promote new business growth and a vital environment for economic development.
- - 50% of new business loans are designated for women.
- New, non-farming businesses, a rarity in rural villages, are often a woman’s first opportunity to earn independent money.
Development Funds
Each village allocates a portion of the interest earned from their Community Loan Fund to a Development Fund to finance various development activities. After six years, a Development Fund can provide over $5,000 per year for village improvement programs, becoming a sustainable source of funding for things like preschool teacher wages, school supplies, and middle and high school scholarships.
Pig Farms
Designed to support self-sustaining family income, our model is similar to that of Heifer International – families share some the offspring of their animals with other families, creating a ripple effect in their community. Profit from a pig farm usually doubles the average family’s yearly income.
Infrastructure
Often, a simple project can make a significant difference in the lives of all villagers. Infrastructure projects have multiple benefits and are undertaken to support our efforts in education, health and economic development.
- Shanta works with villages to design and build new water systems that deliver clean water close to the village centers.
- Shanta partners with communities to provide solar lighting for each home with matching grants to purchase one solar panel, a 12-volt battery, wiring and florescent light bulbs to illuminate two rooms. This provides sustainable sources of light for families, allowing chores to be accomplished and school work finished.
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