Every child deserves the chance to be happy!

(kindly note that the currency stated is in Singapore Dollar - SGD)


Hello, I'm Juju, a Brazilian woman that since 2017 decided to live a more meaningful, happier, and healthier life. The place that helped me to believe that this dream was possible was Myanmar.

I first visited the country, because of a friend's suggestion, she told me and I quote "Juju if you have the chance, visit Myanmar, meet Sue and the monastery in the lake, they always need volunteers, and you love kids and to be a volunteer" (Mag Hino). So on 24 April of 2017, I met Sue at her cooking class and we talked for hours as we knew each other for many years, her desire to take care of her community, to provide education for the kids, to look after the environment, was the same as mine. I believe that in a way we both met each other at the right moment, I needed someone to inspire me as she needed someone to help her to grow her charity work.

Since them, we have been working together, I lived in Myanmar for 2 years (April 2017 to April 2019) in a monastery where I was a full-time volunteer. But during my whole stay I work together with Sue, to grow and improve her Summer School and Library projects, in 2017 she had around 50 students registered at the Hand to Hand Charity Projects.

In 2018 I would come during the Summer season to teach at the Summer School, friends also would teach as volunteers when I could not join (friends living in the country and some coming to Myanmar to stay 3 or 4 weeks as volunteers at the summer school). In that year we registered almost 100 students.

In 2019 I was able to stay full time for 2 months teaching every day 5 classes day as the main volunteer teacher, we had friends coming to assist in the lessons, I invited friends from different parts of the country to share different subjects, such as robotics, first aids, health habits, and etc. Sue also invited many people that could share great knowledge with the students. We were able to take the students to outside excursions, bring them to the museum, take them to visit faraway villages. This year we welcome almost 200 students!!! The library had more than 3000 books!!! All the lessons were build to teach soft skills, life skills, basic English knowledge focused on speaking and listening skills, build positivity, self-confidence and the most important make them all feel happy while learning with us. We also started a conversation club where adults would come to practice their English speaking skills, a space open for locals and foreigners, a great chance to exchange experiences and culture.

In 2020 I was able to return to Myanmar to continue working together with Sue on her charity projects, as we could not get volunteers to come and teache at the summer school, many friends around the world helped me and I arrived on March 10th, the first Summer School day with 300 registered students and dozen on the waiting list, we had 8 classes a day, it was amazing! Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 become a world pandemic and we had to close the summer school after a week. It was so hard to do this even knowing it was for the best to guarantee the safety of the kids.

Sue's Summer School and Library play a huge paper in the development of her community, there is no other place like this in town. All the kids (poor or rich) want to learn with her. Most of the kids before starting studying here, have super low self-esteem, they don't dare to dream, their social and soft skills are extremely limited. They never use positive words to describe themselves, they don't have role models. But after they start studying here, year after year is visible the difference on all of them, they become smarter, they believe they can do everything, they are happier, the smiles come out in their faces, the dreams start to flourish and their mind and eyes open to the wonders of the world. Sue is a great role model for all of them.

The year 2020 has been extremely hard for all of us, but in Myanmar is a year without school, the government school, where they go to learn the whole year term did not open (only the last year of high school level had classes for less than a month but with the increase of cases the government decided to shut down the schools). Sue's Summer School also could not stay open, so it was a year without learning much and without much social interaction. Luckily she was able to run other projects and still be close to some of the kids (especially the ones that need the most, the ones in Sue's neighborhood).

Now we are starting to organize, prepare, and plan everything for 2021. She wants and needs to open the Summer School, she also wants to have projects during the whole year, such as the library, the environmental activities and also skills training, different subjects and topics lectures for the whole community. Every year Sue uses the profit of her businesses to prepare and renovate the bamboo hut she uses as a classroom, the one we have today was built a few years ago, and every year she fixes it, but now it is falling apart so she won't be able to use it for next year. But for next year Sue won't be able to build it alone as 2020 was a year where she had zero profit, and the little income would not even cover the family monthly expenses. And for that reason, we are here to ask you if you could help her to build a new classroom for next year (hopefully we can raise enough to make a building that can last longer).

The amount raised will be used as follow:

1. Build a new classroom, build a playground area and a bigger library;
2. Purchase more desks, chairs, whiteboard, shelves for the classroom;
3. Purchase classroom material (A4 papers, printer ink, markers, pens, pencils, notebooks and etc);
4. Summer School uniform and bag;
5. Outside excursions (transportation and food);
6. Environment Materials (trash bags, trash bins, eco-bags, water bottles, etc);
7. Food and Snacks for the kids that spend the whole day at the school;
8. Education toys;
9. Books for the library and classroom;
10. Sponsor expenses of students that receive scholarship training to study in other cities (we are starting to make partnership for the best students of the Summer School that finishes the high school level to get a scholarship in different types of subjects in other places, a GREAT and UNIQUE change for their lives).

I'm not sure for how long I can stay in the country this time, as because of the pandemic everything changes every day. But even when I am back in Brazil or in another country I continue doing everything I can to give a hand to Sue with her charity projects. Basically, the whole charity runs only with the work of Sue with the donations she receives.

How you can help us?

1. You can share this link on your social media and also about her work;
2. You can create actions to raise money with her (we have many friends all over the world that do different types of an initiative to help us to raise money); You can contact us for more details;
3. You can send items as well (books, stationery, clothes, food, everything in good condition and sent with good hear is welcome);
4. You can be a volunteer (hopefully 2021 and the years after) will be safer to travel; The application will be open as soon the country reopens its borders, the details will be on our website;
5. You also can visit the Bamboo Delight Cooking Class & Restaurant (Sue's businesses) because as I mentioned before part of her profit goes to the Hand to Hand Charity projects (Summer School, Library, Environment, Community Support and etc.).

If you would like more information about what she does and about Sue's story please contact here at:

Hand to Hand Charity Myanmar

E-mail: handtohandcharity.myanmar@gmail.com
Phone | WhatsApp | Viber: +95 9 41010 433 (Sue) +95 9 423864870 (Juju)
Website: www.handtohandcharitymyanmar.org
Facebook page: web.facebook.com/pg/handtohandcharitymyanmar
Facebook page of the Library & Summer School: web.facebook.com/libraryandsummerschool/
Instagram: instagram.com/handtohandcharity/
YouTube Channel: youtube.com/channel/UCPA2N8Mg2MyuHpHni9pYWeg

The Hand to Hand Charity provides an environment where young people can learn and practice English, Leadership, Social and Soft skills and focus on ethical decision making. To achieve that, we promote social, emotional, and educational development among our students and encourage parent volunteering and community involvement in our school. We are dedicated to enrich and support the lives of children, parents, and volunteer educators. We do this through communication, by providing resources, and encouraging involvement in the school and community.

Sue's message

"If we give each other a hand, we can accomplish everything. 
In being good and by doing good, we can make our world a better place for our children, as they are the future of our planet."