If you've never caught the radio program "etown", well you should find it and catch it this week. Why? Well first because it's an excellent and entertaining music and music interview show that also highlights current world issues like global warming and non-profit organizations doing good, but also because I was on the show this week. Yup. You didn't know I had musical talent or worldly do-gooding talent, did you? Well, I don't really, but I was an audience member and you might hear me Wooo here or there, and it was a really awesome show. I went because 1) it's an awesome (did I mention that?) national show I heard in Seattle (KUOW) but it's recorded weekly in Boulder, and 2) because this week's show featured a musician from the band Gomez, which I like. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the "other musician" Matt Nathanson was even better, and totally rocked, and I recommend that you give a listen if you like discovering new great up & coming musicians. He's touring Seattle and Portland this week, too, if you want to catch a Matt Nathanson concert. You can learn about etown at
www.etown.org., and it's often broadcast on NPR-hosting radio stations. This week's worldly do-good featured an organization that gathers and donates shoes. To tsunami victims, to hurricane victims, to African homeless refugees. It was interesting. But it's really because I was in the audience that you should listen. You'll recognize my clapping, I'm sure.
And speaking of worldly do-gooding, that brings me to my second topic. I friend and former co-worker of mine (also named Michelle but with 2 "L's" but she's still cool) also happens to be a Burmese woman. And if you've tuned in even occasionally to the news the past few months you know that Burma has finally hit a rolling boil with all the government and human rights issues that have been going on for years over there. Monks are protesting and getting killed while doing it, and people are fleeing the country to escape with their lives. Well for years now I have known that Michelle (who is a very successful business woman in San Francisco and an amazing manager who I respect a great deal) has been running a school in Burma itself. She and I always shared in common our tendency to leave for month-long vacations and experience other places in the world, but she always went to Burma for that month to run her school. Well now with all the refugees coming over the border, she has set up a school right at the Burma border in Thailand. I've pasted her (one page) mission statement below, and I'm considering that a future world trip for me (maybe next year?) might be to go to her school and volunteer teaching English to Burmese refugees for a couple of weeks.
This is as close to the source of helping as it gets, folks. It's not some big corporation, but a few hardworking individuals who understand the language and the culture and know what it's going to take to get these refugees moving forward in the world. If you read her mission statement and have any interest in either volunteering time (here or there) or donating money, please let me know and I'll put you in touch with her directly. The other thing to consider here is that I know Michelle and I really KNOW that she does things right -- the money will be used efficiently, effectively, with the right priorities and a human touch. I thought you all would at least be interested in hearing about it, and if you can't help today just know that this situation will unfortunately probably continue for several years in the foreseeable future, so if you have more interest in a year or two, it's probably not too late.
Just in case it matters, Michelle did not ask me to do this. She just called up to chat and told me about what she's doing, but I really think it's so great and such a rare opportunity to contribute to something so directly that I am doing something a bit out of character and sharing it with all of you. Please pardon the mass solicitation -- you know I don't do this normally. But I sincerely thought you might find it interesting and relevant and may just appreciate knowing about it all.
ENDOWMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED
BURMESE YOUTHS
Statement of Purpose
Founded on December 1st, 2006, the Endowment for Disadvantaged Burmese Youths (EDBY)* is a non-profit charitable enterprise whose goal is to provide children and teens with education and testing toward the achievement of all levels of competency up to and including a General Educational Development high school equivalency certificate. As the national Burmese educational system currently offers classes only through the tenth grade, a G.E.D. certificate is necessary for those students who wish to further their education to the college level.
Beyond the tenth grade limitation, Burmese education has often been subject to disruption due to school closures or a family’s need to flee political persecution from the repressive military government that has existed in the country since 1988. Recent events in Burma have brought the brave struggles of the monks and perilous conditions of the general population to the forefront of world news. Many families have been forced to flee Burma and have become refugees in Thailand and other nearby countries, or have sought political asylum in the United States. In other cases, parents of school-aged children have been jailed or murdered leaving their dependents to fend for themselves.
With the aid of teachers who have generously volunteered their services, several schools have been set up in Thailand along the Thai/Burma border to accept a growing number of students. Additional students will be enrolled as further resources become available. Classes are divided by age and previous education of the students. A program of up to two years is offered toward the goal of earning the G.E.D. certificate.
Donated funds to provide food, lodging and educational supplies inclusive of books and computers for both students and teachers are held in trust by the Charitable Alliance of Burmese Americans (CABA)*, a registered non-profit corporation. All donations are gratefully received and tax deductible.
* Make checks payable to: CABA for EDBY
Charitable Alliance of Burmese Americans
P.O. Box 1786
Burlingame, CA 94011-1786
(650) 348-7625
IRS 501(c)(3) EIN: 20-1807455
