In April, Thingyan - the water festival - was celebrated in Myanmar. But this is not the only celebration which happened in our orphanage! 20 of our boys were in a monastery for five days. And we had some visitors! 

Enjoy reading!  

Andreas Schantz, MDA Treasurer
PS: Would you like to receive impressions from the orphanage outside of the regular schedule? Feel free to join our WhatsApp group - you can find out how it works below.

"The only thing worse than bureaucracy is trying to get rid of it." - Milton Friedman. 

MDA was established with a crucial condition: to ensure that all donations reach the children in Myanmar to 100% and without any deductions for management or administrative costs. 

The Board of Directors at MDA is tirelessly working to uphold this promise. However, the administrative burden keeps growing, and the sanctions imposed on Myanmar are not only making life difficult for the wrongdoers but also affecting us. 

Nonetheless, there are positive developments to share. For instance, the Tax Office in Hamburg has approved simplified accounting procedures, easing our workload. Additionally, we have identified a bank that, despite our connection to Myanmar and the existing sanctions, is committed to handling our accounts. 

Moreover, we have successfully acquired suitable club software that will streamline our operations in the future. 

Therefore, kindly take note of the following two changes: 

New email address: Info@contact.mda-myanmar.com 

To utilize the communication module integrated in the new club software, we have set up a dedicated email address. Henceforth, please use the address provided to reach me. Rest assured, the old address will continue to function, and no emails will be lost during this transitional period. Please ensure that the new address is not flagged as spam. 

New bank details: 

VR Bank Südliche Weinstraße-Wasgau eG
IBAN: DE83 5489 1300 0063 5879 07
BIC: GENODE61BZA 

Again, there is no need for concern. We will maintain the old account at Deutsche Bank until all donations have been transferred, ensuring no funds are misplaced. Consequently, please update your standing orders with the new bank details. Alternatively, if you prefer a more convenient option, feel free to contact me, and we can switch to direct debit. In that case, your donations will be automatically deducted from your bank account. 

We sincerely appreciate your assistance in modernizing our club administration, enabling us to continue sending 100% of your donations to the orphanage in Myanmar. 

Thank you, 

Andrew Schantz 

Thingyan   

Thingyan, also known as the Water Festival, takes place in mid-April. The Buddhist full moon festivals follow the lunar calendar and are therefore always different in terms of dates. Offices, shops and authorities are closed for a few days. People use the time to travel and visit their families, quarrels are settled. At the water festival, people splash and douse each other with water, which is supposed to wash away the sins. The most important festival of the Myanmar people was also celebrated in the orphanage.

Traditions   

Buddhist tradition in Myanmar requires youth to spend some time in a monastery for monks or nuns before they reach the age of 18. This is an important ritual and most Burmese people perform this ritual at least once in their lives. The first step for both boys and girls is to have their hair shaved off. In March, 20 boys from our orphanage took part in this ritual and spent five days like monks in a monastery. The tradition has been suspended for the last two years and we are delighted that it could happen again this year. In the future, our girls, who are still too young, will also take part in this ritual. 

Visitors - Part 1   

In February, our MDA Vice President Capt. Jerzy Wilk showed guests and supporters from Germany our orphanages during their trip to Myanmar.

Visitors - Part 2   

In March our MDA treasurer Andreas Schantz visited the children. The children were on holiday, playing and romping around on the premises and enjoyed their leisure time. The godparents had the opportunity to receive individual pictures and videos of their children: please feel free to join our WhatsApp group, in which a call was started at short notice.

German Language Lessons     

20 of our children enrolled in the three months basic German language course. They take two days per week online and one day per week in person class. Maybe soon we get some updates from the orphanage in German language.

WhatsApp-Group 

If you are interested in additional information and pictures, please join our WhatsApp group by simply photographing the QR code! You will receive the latest news, photos or videos immediately. You can also enter your landline number on WhatsApp (a smartphone is also requried for this). Please follow the link for instructions. If you have any further questions, please contact us. Email: info@contact.mda-myanmar.com
 

Spenden
VR Bank  Südliche Weinstraße-Wasgau eG
IBAN: DE83 5489 1300 0063 5879 07
BIC: GENODE61BZA