Travel News by Jenny Webb

Last December, seven students and two staff members from Ballarat Grammar School in Victoria set off to Yangon on an amazing journey of discovery. Ballarat Grammar School runs service projects in a number of countries, including Thailand, where students work to provide permanent fresh water to impoverished Karen villages. Travelling to Myanmar, this group of students planned to work with a Burmese Karen community that takes care of one of our GW orphanages and runs a sustainable farming enterprise.

After a few days of orientation and sightseeing in Yangon, the group began work at the farm alongside the Karen teenagers, constructing portable poultry enclosures, painting, setting up sprinkler systems to water vegetable crops and planting cabbages. Of course, ‘work activities’ were frequently interrupted by soccer games, fishing and numerous craft activities. It was this engagement between young people from such different backgrounds that was so valuable for all concerned and which provided an opportunity for the local children to practise their English. The Australian students were able to witness the joy that a box of books

or Lego provided for these children and they found that

sharing their cameras with them was great fun and mutually rewarding.

Back in Yangon, the group took part in the Karen New Year celebrations and attended a Karen wedding, dressed in Karen national dress. The students were given a chance to investigate career opportunities in foreign affairs and to mix with ‘ex-pats’ living and working in Myanmar. There were opportunities to explore something of Buddhist culture by visiting Sule and Shwedagon pagodas and also Golden Rock, a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State. Nearby, the group visited a monastic school and were able to sit in on classes, providing them with a stark reminder of the contrast to classes in Ballarat.

Just prior to leaving Myanmar on 22nd December, the students made up several boxes of food and toys, which they distributed to some of the children they had met during their stay. They were keen that these children should enjoy a Christmas Day celebration just as they would back in Australia.

Each individual came away having learned so much about him/herself. Each had discovered far more than a new landscape and a new culture. These young people had witnessed the realities of life for so many and discovered how fortunate they are here in Australia.

Trips, such as this, shape the way our young people will approach their adult lives and will instil in them an understanding, tolerance and compassion which is much needed in our modern global society.

Ballarat Grammar School Myanmar Service Project

T R A V E L P T Y L T D

ConTaCT DeTaiLS:P.O. Box 245, Blackburn, 3133 VictoriaOffice: (03) 8802 5490Email: info@graceworksmyanmar.org.au

Jillian Wright

Messages from 2 of the Ballarat Grammar students

who travelled to Myanmar on the December service project

Ballarat Grammar service project in Burmaby Maria Cahir

I felt incredibly privileged to be invited to partake in the GraceWorks and Ballarat Grammar service project in Burma – not only on a professional level but also because I was confident that this would be an experience that would

have a significant impact upon my

life. I was not mistaken. I cannot deny that I was

deeply troubled by the conditions that the people of Burma are living in, causing me to come home with more questions than answers. However, working with the beautiful people associated with some of GraceWorks’ projects was an absolute highlight. This was only surpassed by the opportunity to meet and form relationships with the remarkable children living at the orphanages that we visited. As a young teacher, I was most fortunate to be guided by my extremely capable colleague Jillian Wright and GraceWorks board member Jenny Webb, whose

When I first found out that the school was offering

a service project in Myanmar, I immediately wanted

to go to learn about my Grandma’s birthplace.

She was born and raised in Rangoon. I realised

that it would be an amazing experience but it

was truly unforgettable.

It was so interesting to discover the similarities

and differences between our lifestyles. I learnt so

many things I would never have understood had

I not gone on the trip. Interacting with the Myanmar

children and teenagers was really great and I

think they benefited from the opportunity as much

as we did.

Thankyou to GraceWorks and Ballarat Grammar

School for this unforgettable experience.

I will never forget it.

by isabel, Year 10

passion for the people of Burma is inspiring. Teaching in the Junior School at Ballarat Grammar, I also thoroughly enjoyed the chance to work alongside our Senior School students and witness the power of child-to-child interaction and learning. This trip to Burma will stay with me forever – as will the sweet smiles of the children that we worked with.

Maria Cahir and Jillian Wright were the accompanying staff members from Ballarat Grammar

Isabel

Maria Cahir

A life-changing experienceby Jillian Wright

The ‘high impact’ itinerary had a significant and life-changing impact on the young people and adults who participated in it. The positive outcomes resulting from the students’ participation in the service project included:

• Improving student well being and enhancing personal growth by developing in the students an understanding of themselves as well as the richness of human experience.

• Generating enormous goodwill and appreciation towards GraceWorks and the School.

• Providing students and staff with the opportunity to develop cross-cultural communication skills and awareness of the norms of other cultures that will better position them to participate in a global economy and world-wide information network.

Messages from 2 of the Ballarat Grammar students

who travelled to Myanmar on the December service project

I was looking forward to the trip to Myanmar from the moment I signed up for it. The chance to experience another culture in such a first-hand way was something I had never had the opportunity to do before. To be able to offer what help we could to the community on top of that, was a real bonus.At first I was slightly apprehensive about spending two weeks with a group of people who were mostly strangers to me but this quickly dissipated when I met the group. Imagining the trip without them now seems like an impossible task. The sites we visited were absolutely stunning. Shwedagon Pagoda and Golden Rock were definitely my favourites; on reflection I even enjoyed the hike up the mountainside!But the interaction we were able to have with the people there was by far the most rewarding part of the trip. Being able to work with all the children was immensely enjoyable and something I will never forget. The smiles on their faces and pure joy at being able to teach us their games and to learn some of ours, was the highlight of the trip. Given the chance to participate again, I would not hesitate.I would like to thank the adults on our trip, Jenny, Jillian and Maria. They were there whenever we needed them and did an amazing job looking after us all. I will be eternally grateful to them.by emma, Year 11

Emma

T R A V E L P T Y L T D

Have the experience of a lifetime with a GraceWorks Travel tour!

GW Travel tours can take you to a range of exciting destinations, many off the well beaten tourist track.

Visit the fascinating Intha

people of Inle Lake

Winery in Shan State

Graceworks Travel has been delighted at the positive response to its recent tours. A ‘Special Interest Tour’ will run in June, 2010. The group of eight includes farmers, winemakers, teachers, an architect and a wood craftsman. All these people are enthusiastic about sharing their talents with those they visit at a number of GraceWorks-sponsored projects but they acknowledge that they will probably learn more than they can teach. This group will also travel north to witness the natural beauty of Inle Lake and surrounding areas of Shan State. They will sample wines at two local wineries and find time for a game of golf. From there they will fly to Bagan to explore the amazing ruins of an ancient kingdom. Another ‘Study Tour for Educators’ will run in the September school holidays (19th Sept.- 2nd Oct. 2010). As well as participating in activities in and around Yangon, this group will enjoy a 3 day excursion to stunning Ngapali Beach on the central west coast of Myanmar. There are still places available on this trip (which is not necessarily exclusively for teachers).

A Christmas trip (December 24th to January 5th) will also be running, offering the opportunity to spend a very special Christmas Day in an orphanage. Another Schools Service Project to Myanmar is currently in the planning stage, taking some of the senior students from a Melbourne girl’s school in January, 2011. GraceWorks Travel would be pleased to accept additional small group bookings for November/December, 2010 and can accommodate a variety of different interests.

If you are interested in an entirely different travel experience, meeting inspirational people, seeing what capacity there is for change and contributing to the lives of the local people (and your own), then a trip with GraceWorks Travel could be just the thing. This extraordinary personal adventure can be combined with travel to any of the fascinating destinations within the country. As limited places are available on each trip, we advise you to check the GraceWorks website and facebook page for details of future tours and to submit the “I want to take a trip to Myanmar” form.

For further information contact our office on (03) 8802 5490.