Locals look to raise funds to build schools

On the night of Feb. 10, the Downstream Bar hosted a fundraising event for Building Knowledge, a charity endeavour focused on building schools in Burma (Myanmar).

About 40 people attended the event, which included live music by solo guitarist Scott Cook and a silent auction featuring items such as gift baskets, photographs, paintings, pottery, and a couple of guitars.

However, despite the opportunity to take home a new guitar or listen to some good music, the highlight and purpose of the evening was listening to a presentation on Building Knowledge by project organizers Sandra Hodge and Gilly Thomas.

The powerpoint presentation detailed their journeys to Burma and the development of the charity project. Illuminating the vibrancy of Burmese society and culture, Hodge and Thomas detailed the need and desire on the part of the Burmese for greater access to education.

The cost to build one school is $10,000, they said, adding that the average wage of a Burmese citizen is $273 per year.

According to Hodge and Thomas, communities are responsible for 75 per cent of school costs. So, if Building Knowledge can provide the infrastructure – the biggest overhead cost – communities, especially in the rural areas where 72 per cent of the population resides and which have few schools, will be more inclined to invest in education.

One of the aspects of the project that Hodge emphasized was using local labourers and supplies that are indigenous and familiar to the population. This will help empower the local populations, she said.

Although a poverty stricken nation run by a repressive military junta, Burma’s literacy rates are over 90 per cent in every age demographic, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Hodge and Thomas claim that this is indicative of the tremendous Burmese desire to learn, not to mention that the largest age demographic in the country is under 19.

Although their charity interests have recently converged to tackle access to education in Burma, Hodge and Thomas bring together varied backgrounds, knowledge and experiences.

Thomas has a personal connection to the land as Burma is the birthplace of her mother. About four years ago, Thomas, who is a teacher by training, along with her ten year old daughter Tekarra, spent five weeks traversing the country and immersing herself in Burmese culture. She wanted to explore her roots and ended up “falling in love” with the place.

Hodge comes from a nursing background and has an extensive list of international volunteer initiatives that have helped inform the modus operandi of Building Knowledge. Beginning in 2002, Hodge volunteered in the Solomen Islands, formed and ran a medical clinic in Thailand after the tsunami in 2004 and then headed off to Burma in the aftermath of the devastating cyclone in 2006.

The event raised $1,476 in donations and $1,698 through the silent auction and was supported by many local businesses and residents alike. The Downstream will donate the 15 per cent local discount to Building Knowledge and then match that dollar figure as well.