Sue Myat is from a village 100km from Mandalay on an island in the Irrawaddy River. Her parents separated when she was six. She lived with her paternal grandparents until they sent her to this school two years ago so she could get a better education.
“I’m very happy here. I can learn many things. I wouldn’t get that opportunity in my village. I enjoy staying here with many friends. There are many opportunities for me.
“For example, I’ve learnt from previous students that if they pass matriculation exams [high school graduation exams] they can get scholarships to study in medical school.
“I’d like to be a doctor. At the same time I’d like to be a famous singer. There are events here that I like to sing at. I like all kinds of music.
“What I like most about the school is that we are really encouraged to participate in competitions and perform in events with other schools. Also we can use the library at any time. It has good lighting. In my village we have to use candles.
“Before arriving here, I’d never seen a computer. Now I know it’s very important to getting ahead in the 21st century. So I’m very happy to be learning computer skills and English.
“On the computer, I like browsing photos and making and managing files. I also like graphic design.
“There are a limited number of computers. We have to use one computer for two students and there is limited time. I’d like more computers and more time for computer training.
“I’d also like there to be more trees in the compound. In my village there are lots of trees.
“In my spare time I like singing, reading, writing, playing and looking out to the mountains (of Shan State).”
Read more about this ChildFund-supported monastic school, here.
The international 2013 ChildFund Connect Family Film Festival has launched this week, involving young filmmakers from Australia and around the world.
More than 700 children from Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Laos, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka and Vietnam submitted films for the festival, exploring the theme of ‘family’ and the role it plays in their lives. Over the next few weeks, film festival events will be held in all seven countries with the participation of the children, their families and communities.
Students from Barraba and Manilla, in northern NSW, attended a screening at their local theatre this week. “It`s great for the kids, especially in a small town, to become more aware of not just their country but other countries overseas, and how they live and their customs and traditions as well,” teacher Amy Berriman from Manilla Central Public School told Prime7 News in Tamworth.
The young filmmakers were involved in every part of the production process, from scripting to storyboarding, acting and editing. From over 100 short films produced by the children, 25 semi-finalists were selected and, of those, 12 finalists are being screened at the events. Children will vote on these 12 films in the categories of Best Story, Best Acting and Best Film Technique.
The Family Film Festival is part of ChildFund Connect, a global education program that uses multimedia technology to help Australian children connect and learn with their peers in developing countries.
Children created films on a wide range of topics ranging from the light-hearted, such as the tale of a dinosaur who can`t find his family €“ to hard-hitting subjects including family migration, domestic violence and alcohol abuse.
Kelly Royds, ChildFund Connect program coordinator, says: “I was really impressed by how well the children have received the films, especially on the more challenging subjects. The kids really understood and engaged with the topics €“ they acknowledged that these sorts of things happen everywhere and saw the moral lessons in the films. I was also struck by how parents and teachers received the films and saw huge potential to use them as stimuli for class discussions about family and culture around the world.”
Kelly adds that the films complemented what the children had learned from earlier ChildFund Connect activities, where they exchanged videos with their overseas partner groups about their favourite foods, games and other subjects of interest to them. Children have expressed a greater understanding about family and culture in other countries after seeing this year`s films, and showed a real sensitivity to the differences they were seeing.
“For example, they were sensitive to the spiritual undertones in some of the films, in particular, the Lao story of two girls who see a ghost and lose their spirits, and also the two films from Timor-Leste that depict parents falling ill when their children do not show them respect. It’s been a really amazing and touching experience to see the kids and parents respond to the films in this way.”
The ChildFund Connect program is supported by Australian Aid.
