Partnership Ref.:	MYA04
Partner:	Samuel Thang
Commenced:	25/07/2010
Funding Status:	Completed - No Funding Required
Partnership Type:	Orphans & Vulnerable Children, Training / Education
Funding Size:	$0 - $2,999
Annual Budget:	US$ 0

Partnership Overview

The Peace Children's Home was established in 2003. It was established to bring healing to orphaned or abandoned children by providing an environment where they can grow strong emotionally, physically and spiritually, and become healthy adults and productive citizens of God's kingdom.  Currently 42 children are being cared for and educated. Their desire is to increase the number of children each year so that by 2015 they will have 100 children. Obviously this has huge implications financially and so an internet cafe is being set up to provide funds for the Home.

The plans are to start basic English and computer training courses and an internet cafe as a way of building relationships with students from a nearby college and also providing funds for the Children's Home. The plan is for it to become self-sufficient.  There is no other internet cafe nearby so it has the potential to earn a good income. 

Samuel has built a large verandah on the front of his house within which the computer shop will be installed. The intention is to have ten computers in the internet cafe and they will be open 12 hours a day.  

History Of Partnership

In March 2003 Samuel was serving as a free evangelist to the mountain villages of Chin Hills and helped as a youth minister at the church where his father had pastored for over 20 years.  One day he was talking with an older gentleman at the church who mentioned that two of their grandchildren were about to be sent to the Buddhist temple to be educated by the monks as he and his wife could no longer care for the boys.  Their mother had died and their father was a drunkard.  The boys lived with their grandparents who were hardly surviving and were struggling to get their daily food in the remote village. The drunkard father had decided to send the children to the temple.  The old grandmother asked Samuel, with tears in her eyes, to please find a Christian orphanage for the boys.  During the church service that night, 11 year old Micah played the guitar and led the singing and Samuel's heart was pricked as this was one of the boys who was to be sent to the temple.  He decided to bring the two boys to his father's house as at that stage he was living with his parents.  That was the start of the children's home.

Peace Children's Home exists to offer hope for a better future for every life they impact.  Hope is something not often seen in Myanmar and these children have been abused and forgotten.  They believe that each child can grow up to become an influence in his or her nation, and help bring about positive change in his or her society.  They believe in not simply raising children but in developing future leaders. They are a small and family based ministry.  This year they have divided the children into five families with one adult or house parents living with each group of children.  They feel it is important that the children are cared for in a family environment.

Bright Hope World's Field Director has been in correspondence with Samuel for more than 2 years and in 2010 he visited for the first time.

Beneficiaries

There are a number of beneficiaries.  Firstly, the students from the nearby college who will benefit from the English and computer courses and also the internet cafe.  Secondly, the children already in the Home and also the additional children who will be added over the next few years as the internet cafe financially supports the Home.

What We Like About The Partnership

It is exciting to be able to partner with people who have a real vision to impact their community.  The internet cafe will not only enable the Children's Home to become self-sustaining, it will also provide skill development for the older children and provide a service for the students in the community.  There is a formal committee that oversees the orphanage and it is also associated with Hmawbi Christian Church. 

 

Key People

Leadership Profile

Samuel Thang is the founder of Peace Children's Home and oversees all the children as well as being responsible for the finances.  He is married to Mercy and they have two daughters - Biak Hlei Par and Boih Boih. Samuel graduated with degrees from Myanmar Bible Institute in 2000 and South India Baptist Bible College and Seminary in 2002. From 2003-2009 he taught at Restoration Bible Institute and now is a full time minister at Hmawbi Christian Church in addition to overseeing the Peace Children's Home.

 

Other People Involved

There are four other adults who are involved in taking care of the children at each home and a committee which oversees the running of the PCH.  They are in the process of registering with the government. 

They plan to employ two young men to take care of the internet cafe.  Michael is an orphan who has been with them for over three years.  He has finished high school and has completed a basic computer and IT course.  Paul is also an orphan who has been with them for five years.  He passed his high school final this year and will be going to computer college.  He has also done a basic computer course and has worked for a few months at a friend's cafe.

 

Vision And Annual Strategy

The Peace Children's Home has a holistic approach to restoring a child.  This includes providing medical aid, education, food, clothing and books as well as helping them develop habits resulting in clean surroundings, personal hygiene, and an awareness of the environment.  Additionally education, arts and language skills give them the opportunity to develop into leaders.  They believe that family, in the form of love from caring parents, is the most natural and effective healing and empowering agent for the child. 

The vision is to increase the number of children yearly up to 100 children by the year 2015 and to also become self supporting.

The vision for the internet cafe is to set up a viable business that not only is an avenue for reaching out to the students in the area but also provides funds to financially support the children's home. 

 

Annual Budget

The amount needed to set up the internet cafe is US$12,100.  This will fund 10 computers, tables, network cables, telephone and line, broadband connection, work permit, printer, and a generator to be used when the electricity is off.

This is a one-off amount and they anticipate after two months being able to pay the staff and also the rent for the building out of the profits.