Education and EDF Scholarship Program
Written by: Ms. Thein Aye, Principal of Aye Ywar Lay Post Primary School, Htantapin Township Yangon West Division of Yangon Region
 
Htantapin Township is in the West Yangon Division of Yangon Region. Although Htantapin Township is very near to Yangon City, it is one of the poorest townships in West Yangon Division. The majority of people in the township earn their living as farmers or as casual laborers in the rice paddy fields. The casual laborers are living from hand to mouth and could hardly afford to send their children to school.

In 2012/2013 academic year, EDF Japan and EDF Thailand provided 70 scholarships for Grade 6 students of 3 Post Primary Schools in the Htantapin Township. Among them, Ju Ju, Yin Min Thawe, and Maung San Win were among the recipients of the scholar ships from Aye Ywar Lay Post Primary School. Maung San Win’s parents are casual laborers and were living from hand to mouth so he has to stay at the Danae Yi village Monastery where the residing monk provided him food and shelter. Although he is poor he studied studiously and got prizes for his outstanding performance among his classmates and is now studying in Grade 7.

The other two girls in his class who got scholarships from EDF Japan and EDF Thailand last year were also from poor families but Ju Ju and Yin Min Thawe have failed in the final exam and poor Ju Ju have to drop out of school to work as a casual laborer at the Garment factory in Hlaing Tharyar Township and earning 50,000 kyats (55 US$) a month to augment the income of her family. Although Yin Min Thawe failed and became a repeater in Grade 6, she is still studying at Aye Ywar Lay Post Primary School.

This example vividly shows that EDF Scholarships certainly helps and encourages poor students and also convince their poor parents to send their children to pursue basic and higher education to become good citizens and be part and parcel for the development of Myanmar.