Making a Difference
A Single Starfish, by Loren Eisley
"As a man was walking along a beach reflecting on his life, one of his thoughts was that no matter how he tried to make a difference he always seemed to be spitting in to the wind."
Shwin Lan's Children
Thu Rain Lin
8 Year Old Boy
He has been here 1 year. His mother died and his father has acute mental illness. Neighbours took him to the monastery fearing for his safety.
Naing Thu Phyo
9 Year Old Boy
He has been here for 3 years. When orphaned he was taken in by a couple who abused and tortured him. He ran away and lived on the streets. He then asked the monks to help him. When taken in he had bad injuries from the beatings, and for years displayed disturbed behaviour. He is improving steadily.
Kan Kaung
9 Year Old Boy
Kan was abandoned or orphaned at age 6 or 7. He lived on the street and would get as close as possible to houses at night for shelter. One Resident presuming he was a burglar beat him so severely it caused brain damage. He is now unable to speak and has learning difficulties. He is gradually improving and can now say a few words after one and half years at Shwin Lan.
Pho Thar
7 Year Old Boy
Pho is an orphan who was found living on the streets.
Hein Zaw
15 Year Old Boy
Tin Hlaing
13 Year Old Boy
Two Brothers
Pictured Above
Their mother came from a very low class background and was discriminated against, and abused by the family members. She was blamed for Tin Hlaing having polio. She left home leaving the two boys with their father. He died and the family refused to look after them, putting them out on the street. They come from a town 200 miles away and eventually found their way to the outskirts of Rangoon where the monastery is. Tin Hlaing (everyone calls him No No) is partially disabled from polio, but can speak fairly well and is quite bright.
Chan Nyein Wathong
4 Year Old Boy
He has been here the last 2 years. His father left home and his mother is seriously ill, leaving Chan Nyeim in the care of the monks.
Thiha Naing
8 Year Old Boy
Thi's father died and his mother remarried. His mother then died and his stepfather remarried. His new stepmother did not want him. He was passed on to his stepfather’s parents who did not want him, so he was thrown out of the house and left to fend for himself on the street until found and taken to the monastery.
Moe Moe San
3 Year Old Girl
She has been here for 2 months. She is a victim of the cyclone from the Delta area. Only she and her father survived from the entire extended family. Her father has had a mental breakdown and cannot accept that everyone else is dead. He continues to search all the surrounding tents and villages in the hope of finding his wife. Moe Moe is also traumatised, and spends most of her time sitting alone and silent in the corner. She was brought to Yangon by volunteers when her father asked them to take care of her.
Tin Moe Thu
6 Year Old Girl
Her father died leaving her mother with five young children. She was unable to care for them and the family split-up as a result. Tin has no idea of the fate of the rest of her family. She was passed around local people before being found by the monks.
Soe Thet Aung
7 Year Old Boy
Aung Phyo
4 Year Old Boy
Two Brothers
Pictured Above
These two are orphans, and were taken in by Shwin lan.
Aung Ko Htaik
11 Year Old Boy
He has been here 3 years. He comes from the Delta and his parents are poor fishermen. They wanted him to be cared for and get an education so they arranged for him to be brought to the monastery.
San San
10 Year Old Girl
San's parents were very poor labourers. Her father died when she was young and her mother became mentally ill and disappeared leaving San San abandoned at age 8.
Ko Ko Maung
11 Year Old Boy
His father deserted the family when he was young. 3 years ago his mother was bitten by a snake and died. He was found living on the streets.
Sai Thet Ko
7 Year Old Boy
Sai's mother died and his father ran off with another woman, leaving him abandoned.
Thiri Win Hlaing
9 Year Old Girl
Thida Win Hlaing
14 Year Old Girl
Two Sisters
Pictured Above
They have been here for 3 years. Their father went overseas to work - nothing was ever heard from him. Their mother remarried but the stepfather caused trouble being drunk and violent. The monks found out about the situation and removed the girls for their safety.
Naing Tun Pyo
8 Year Old Boy
Both Naing's parents died. He was taken in by neighbours who beat and tortured him. The monks found out about this and took him to the monastery. Novice monks can collect food donations in their alms bowls. Quite a few of the children are made in to novices to increase the quantity of food collected, which is then shared out.
Sit Aung
9 Year Old Boy
Sit Maung
7 Year Old Boy
Two Brothers
Pictured Above
Cyclone victims from the Delta. The mother died and the father was left homeless with many children and unable to look after them.
Aung Ko Oo
11 Year Old Boy
An orphan from one of the local villages, Aung was found living on the street. The Abbot (head Monk) is very proud of him as he is a bright student, always top of the class.
Kyaw Htway
13 Year Old Boy
This boy is a cyclone orphan, the only survivor of his entire family. When the tsunami hit his village, he managed to cling to some bamboo and was carried 7 miles inland by the flow. He was found by volunteers and brought to Rangoon a month ago. He appears to be coping well.
Aung Kyaw Tun
10 Year Old Boy
He is an orphan and for a while was looked after by neighbours but they could not afford to feed him or pay school costs so they brought him to the monks. He came 2 years ago and was suffering from severe skin problems which are now improving.
A Saw
10 or 11 Year Old Boy
A Saw is the first child taken in by Zayar Nanda. He comes from one of the Hill Tribes. He lost both parents and made his way on the long journey towards Rangoon. He did not realise that he spoke a different dialect to the rest of the country. He was found by a local man sitting on the bridge outside the village scared, hungry and crying.
Aye Aye Thin & Khin Than Shwe
11 & 9 Year Old Girls
Aye Aye Khaing
13 Year Old Girl
Sister of Aye Aye Thin and Khin Than Shwe above. These three sisters are from the delta region. Nothing is known about their history except that they were very poor. It’s not known if their parents are alive.
Myo Min
6 Year Old Boy
He has been here for 3 years. His father was an alcoholic who beat his mother. She left home leaving Myo Min with his father. He died a year later and the boy was found on the street by villagers.
Htet Wai Soe
5 Year Old Boy
Htet's mother was a teenage street kid. His father was murdered and his mother then abandoned him.
Wai Mar Lwin
10 Year Old Girl
Hnin Wai Soe
14 Year Old Girl
Two Sisters
Pictured Above
Cyclone refugees. Both parents survived, but lost their home. They brought the two girls here to be cared for and get an education.
Aung Ko Min
9 Year Old Boy
This one is more cheeky monkey than monk. He's always playing tricks, is playful and maybe a bit too naughty. Both parents are dead.
Yi Wai Yan
5 Year Old Boy
Yi comes from the delta area. He was being used by a gang of adults to work for them on the streets. After one year of abuse he was rescued by a villager who took him to the monastery where he has being living for a year.
Mon Shin Aung
4 Year Old Boy
Shin Nan Wai
10 Year Old Girl
Brother and Sister
Pictured Above
Their father was an alcoholic who beat and tortured their mother. The mother ran away leaving the kids with their grandparents. They were old and poor and unable to keep the kids.
Kyaw Kyaw Tun
5 Year Old Boy
Kyaw has been at the home for three years. His father either died or disappeared when he was young and his mother was very ill and had many other children. She couldn’t give Kyaw the care she wanted for him, so asked the head monk to take him in.
Arkar Shein
2 Year Old Boy
Nyein Thant Khaing
4 Year Old Girl
Nay Thu Shein
11 Year Old Boy
Aung Thu Shein
13 Year Old Boy
Three Brothers and a Sister
Pictured Above
Their father died 6 months before the youngest one was born, and their mother drowned while working on a boat that sank shortly after. No other family members were able to care for them, so they were all taken to the monastery.
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