School Building Project in Rakhine State, MyanmarAiming to Build 100 Schools by 2017

In September 2012, the Nippon Foundation, in cooperation with Bridge Asia Japan (BAJ), an international NGO based in Japan, began building schools in Rakhine State, located in western Myanmar facing the Bay of Bengal. To mark the completion of the project’s first year, a ceremony was held on February 14, 2014 (local time) to hand over the 10 school buildings completed during the year.

Photo
Left to right: The Nippon Foundation President Takeju Ogata, BAJ President Etsuko Nemoto, Rakhine State Chief Minister Hla Maung Tin and his wife.

The ceremony was held at the Kyet Zay Primary School in the village of Kyet Zay in Mrauk U Township, and was attended by Rakhine State Chief Minister Hla Maung Tin and his wife, and Director General San Shwe Aung of the Department of Education & Training, Ministry of Border Affairs, as well as Etsuko Nemoto, president of BAJ, which hosted the ceremony, and Takeju Ogata, president of the Nippon Foundation.

With the village head, the schools’ headmasters, teachers, students and parents, and many village residents in attendance, President Ogata handed Deputy Director Hla Sein Tun of the Rakhine State Basic Education Department a certificate officially handing over the 10 school buildings.

In his remarks, President Ogata stressed the importance of primary education, noting that, “Educating children means cultivating the leaders with whom you can entrust the country’s future. Fostering young people may not yield results today or tomorrow, but it is sure to bring major success over a longer span of 10, 20, or 30 years.”

The Nippon Foundation will continue to work with the governments of Myanmar and Rakhine State, BAJ, and local citizens to improve the primary education environment in the state, an area that is prone to natural disasters including floods and cyclones. We aim to build a total of 100 schools during the five-year period from 2012 to 2017.

School Building Project in Rakhine State

The school building project aims to improve the primary education environment in Rakhine State. Located is western Myanmar, this area is frequently damaged by cyclones and floods. The schools are built with this in mind, incorporating safety features so they can also function as evacuation shelters. The project plan is to build 100 schools by 2017.

Schools Built to Date (as of February 2014)

No. School Name Township
1 Kyawe Tae Post Primary School Sittwe
2 Thein Tan Primary School Sittwe
3 Ward No-1 Primary School Pauk Taw
4 Ywar Chaung Gyi Primary School Pauk Taw
5 Kyaw Taw Primary School Ponna Gyun
6 Auk Myat Lay Primary School Ponna Gyun
7 Pyin Hla Primary School Kyauk Taw
8 Daung Taw Yoe Primary School Kyauk Taw
9 Taung Oo Post Primary School Mrauk U
10 Kyet Zay Primary School Mrauk U

Contact

Daiji Tateishi
International Program Department
The Nippon Foundation

Tel
+81-3-6229-5111
E-mail
cc@ps.nippon-foundation.or.jp