In 2020, Fr. ‘M’ was looking forward to celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ordination which had taken place in 1995. He was one of the first priests from Myanmar to volunteer with the Columbans and he went on mission to Peru. Returning to his own diocese in Myanmar he took on difficult assignments. In 2020 he found himself in a remote jungle parish not far from the Thai border making plans for his 25th anniversary celebrations. But it was not to be. First came the Covid pandemic, and that was followed by political disturbances within Myanmar in 2021.
Fr. M’s remote parish became a conflict zone. (For security reasons, Fr. M’s name is not given.) The local people were unable to stay safely in their villages and had to flee further into the jungle. Thanks to assistance from the Church and the leadership of Fr. M, they were able to put up temporary accommodation and receive food. But even in these terrible conditions, parents were determined that their children would continue their education. Using bamboo, wood and plastic sheeting, they were able to put up some rough buildings to use as classrooms and these catered for preschoolers all the way up to teenagers. They named this new education centre ‘Spring’. As Fr. M explained to me, “Spring is a time of new life, when seeds begin to grow and people plant crops to feed their families. The villagers do not want their children to lose hope but through study to grow, even if they are living as refugees in the jungle.”
There may be as many as one million internal refugees in Myanmar – people who have had to leave their villages and towns due to the security situation. In five dioceses, the Church is caring for over 100,000 people in temporary camps, providing shelter, food and medical help. Already stretched to the limit, they have few resources left over for setting up learning centres as well. However, with whatever little they have, parishes, convents and local communities have managed to set up over 400 education projects, relying on volunteer teachers and donations.
“Education for our children, we have to teach our children,” was the message we heard at our discussion about supporting the Church in Myanmar. In consultation with Myanmar’s Church leaders, the Seeds of Hope project was created. The dedication and courage shown by so many people in such difficult situations is the inspiration behind the Seeds of Hope project. Several Catholic groups who have been supporting the Church in Myanmar are raising funds for these 400 community education centres in conflict zones. Despite the lack of resources children are educated and this is helping to plant seeds of hope for the future.
With little or no electricity or any access to the internet, if a school is closed, then there is no opportunity for any kind of education for children. Parents, who are doing their best to provide food and security for their children told us: “we need to teach our children as well”. Initially classes have sometimes been held in the shade of a tree or under plastic sheeting stretched between bamboo poles. But villagers soon get the process of putting up temporary classrooms underway: levelling the land, cutting down trees for timber, flattening the bamboo for flooring, weaving the bamboo into wall panels and plastic sheeting for roofing. Then classes can begin. Setting up these learning centres involves a great many challenges, but the resilience and dedication of those involved means obstacles are overcome.
Thanks to the sweat and labour of the villagers, new classrooms have been built and we can support their efforts by providing educational supplies and living expenses for the volunteer teachers. Planting the seeds of education, that will give the whole community hope for a better tomorrow. These children have lost their homes, let’s make sure that they do not lose their future as well.
Fr. M has now moved to a new location, where once again he is encouraging the people to build a new community centre; a place to educate not only children but adults as well. For Fr. M, “Spring is not so much a time of year, but a belief in the new life that Christ promises each one of us.” Though Fr. M was not able to celebrate his ordination anniversary, he did celebrate his 55th birthday with the children of ‘Spring Education Centre’ and their smiling faces no doubt were the best present of all!
Columban missionary Fr. Leo Schumacher is from Stratford, New Zealand. He was ordained in 1987 and appointed to Japan. He is parish priest of St. Joseph’s in Tsukiji, the oldest parish in the Archdiocese of Tokyo. He has been coordinating the Tokyo and Cologne archdioceses outreach to Myanmar.
