Myanmar Youth Sustainability Training Centre

Dear Friends and Family, 

We trust you are all doing well and staying safe and healthy during these challenging times. 

Here in Myanmar, we are still facing a very challenging time. With a very unstable political situation and still threats from another wave of Covid-19, daily life is extremely challenging for all. 

We are slowly coming out of a devastating 3^rd wave and starting a vaccination program across the country. With rapid opening of everything and limited resources, we are worried about what is still to come. 

Clear winter weather coming our way
Through all we have continued to spend time at the farm training centre as often as possible. With the heavy rains coming to an end, we are getting ready for clear and cold weather. This is the time when we can more easily be at the farm. We will begin starting to make our mud bricks again and designing the next buildings.  Our aim is to start basic youth camps for local children from the surrounding villages in the next few weeks. 

Schools have just opened, but we are uncertain for how long they will stay open and due to the political situation some students are still at home. We are aiming to create several programs for a variety of ages over the next few months. 

We have already installed a better road for easier access into the farm and several more rain water catchment tanks. This will allow us a much easier time through the long dry season to keep our gardens and trees happy! 

Wild honey bees and lime plaster
We are currently sampling new lime plasters and will paint our buildings as soon as the weather allows. We are also going to start our first time with bees on this land. We are learning new techniques for working with bees. There are so many wild hives of honeybees so we will start to work with them over the next few months. 

Life continues to move along slowly with all of the challenges, but we are happy to share that we are still able to continue our work in the local villages. 

We look forward to sharing more news with you over the next few months!

Dear friends and family,

We trust you are all doing well and staying healthy and strong.

We are sad to share with you that the situation in Myanmar has only grown worse over the past few months.

As many of you may be aware, we are currently, facing a devasting 3rd wave of Covid 19. Over the last few weeks and days, the situation gets more serious with a lack of oxygen throughout the entire country. With lack of staff, medical supplies and no vaccination program in the country there are so many challenges people here are facing and will continue to face in the upcoming weeks. Along with all of these challenges the country is in its 6th month of political instability. It is hard to imagine things being worse!

The good news is that we are still able to travel to Whispering Earth Training Centre and continue the development of the land and buildings. Although it is still extremely challenging, we are spending as much time out at the farm as possible.

Greening the Training Centre
With a very early monsoon season this year, we have already been able to plant over 500 trees and bushes throughout the 14 acre training centre. With a variety of fruit trees, flowering and medicinal trees, herbs, and veggie gardens the centre is really coming alive with the rains.

Earthen Buildings are back!
After a long time coming, we are so happy to have almost completed our first earthen building on the land!!

As we mentioned, early rains this year (almost 2 months early!), really took us by surprise. We thought there would then be a break in the rains, by the rains kept falling!

After several months working slowly on the few sunny days we have had, we finally have completed the roof. Now with the roof on we are working on the first base coat of lime and plaster and looking forward to choosing fun colors to paint the final plaster coat! This allows us to be able to stay at the farm when necessary.

When the rains stop and all things permitting, we will continue building and start another few buildings on the land including a permanent kitchen and more! We are so excited and thankful for this lovely space and opportunity to have the time to develop the project further during these challenging days.

A New Water Source for the Centre
Due to the situation over the last half year, we were unable to start digging the well at the farm. We hope to raise funds over the next few months in order to start drilling the bore hole in November and December when the rains have stopped.

Having our own water source will change things completely at the farm and allow us to live there more easily as well as be able to plant and care for more veggie garden space and all of our trees throughout the long dry season.

Each year the water source we currently use is drying up faster and faster as the local village access the water. A new water source will ensure more security for not only our farm but also the village we are working with.

It is an extremely challenging time here in Myanmar and we hold all those suffering in our hearts. We hope that the situation will change soon and people can begin to move forward with their lives.

We are grateful for all the support we receive and the opportunity to continue building Whispering Earth Training Centre to better serve the people of Myanmar in the upcoming years.

Warmest wishes and best of health to you all!

Whispering Earth Family