Myanmar remains one of the world’s most isolated countries, but that hasn’t stopped Sandra Hodge from launching her own non-profit organization to help build schools in the impoverished Southeast Asian country, formerly known as Burma.
Next week, on Feb. 18, the former Jasperite will return to Jasper for a fundraising gala at the Jasper Legion, featuring a three-course gourmet meal inspired by Southeast Asian flavours, as well as a silent auction and live entertainment, to support her organization, U R Building Knowledge.
Based in Vancouver, the nimble organization was started in 2008 by Hodge and Gillean Thomas, Hodge’s long time Jasper rock-climbing partner, who also goes by Gilly.
“Our intent is solely to fund these schools and to work with people who have amazing intents themselves,” said Hodge, who recently returned from Myanmar with her partner Josh Dennis.
“The reason why we are really small is so 100 per cent of donations can go straight to where [they] need to go,” explained Hodge, who pays her own travel expenses and works as a family nurse practitioner on Vancouver Island.
U R Building Knowledge, like many organizations, came about through a series of unfortunate events and a web of human connections that stretch back two generations and cross several international borders.
For Thomas, the connection to Myanmar goes back to the Second World War when her mother, who was born in Myanmar, had to flee the country as a young child when the Japanese invaded.
After having her own daughter, Tekarra, Thomas decided to travel through Myanmar for six months to retrace her mother’s routes.
During that time she met a man named John Stevens, who lived in northern Thailand and was trying to build schools in Myanmar.
While Thomas was travelling, back home in Canada, Hodge was volunteering for the Canadian Medical Assistant Team (CMAT), a Canadian humanitarian relief organization.
At that time, part of her job was to organize CMAT’s logistics for sending relief into Myanmar, following the country’s worst natural disaster: cyclone Nargis, which killed at least 138,000 people. While getting organized, Hodge reached out to Thomas, who put her in contact with Stevens.
Despite the unprecedented level of destruction, Myanmar’s military junta flatly rejected all outside help.
Fortunately, not all was lost, because whether or not Hodge recognized it at the time, she had created a new relationship with Stevens that would forever change her life and the lives of many Burmese children years down the road.
“I called John [Stevens] from Canada after the cyclone and asked what was going on in the country and if there was anything we could do and he told me one of the schools that he had helped to fund was being used as a refugee centre,” recalled Hodge.
“As I learned more about what he was doing it stimulated a lot of conversation between Gilly [Thomas] and I. I was also at a point in life where I had done a number of disaster responses, but decided I wanted to do something more long term and sustainable.”
The result was the creation of U R Building Knowledge, which has built six schools and one medical centre in Myanmar since 2008.
Today, Stevens along with his local Burmese partner Maun Maun Gee, is the organization’s Myanmar liaison, helping to ensure the schools are built in an ethical and sustainable way. He is also the founder of his own non-profit organization called 100 Schools.
“We are all working towards the same thing, which is funding these schools,” said Hodge.
Sitting on the board of U R Building Knowledge is another Jasperite, Nicole Gaboury, who is spearheading the fundraiser next week, along with her partner Bob Covey.
To support the non-profit organization’s efforts or to learn more about what it does, head to the Jasper Royal Canadian Legion on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.
In addition to the three-course meal and silent auction, which includes Myanmar handicrafts, there will also be a multimedia presentation with photos and videos of the villagers, schoolchildren and other education partners based in Myanmar. Tickets are $30 and can be bought at Coco’s Cafe, Nutters or at the door.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
