Sunday, December 15, 2019

A journey to learn about contentment !

A memorable journey with friends to a small Karen village of  18 household and some 90 people. A very little corner of the world hiden in a hillside.

Not many people come here as the transportation is very challenge. It took almost four hours
driving along a dusty, small and winding road  up and down the hills, passing two streams where bridges were broken.

Most of their houses made of bamboos.  People keep themselves in the houses after going to the rice farm as the very cold and windy weather. Most of them do not  have winter jackets. The girls usually get married after they finish the primary school. We saw a few young  mothers of 12-13 years old at the village. The young boys go to work in town after finish primary school. They will come back to the village to help parents during the times of growing and harvesting highland rice.

People  rotate their farm land  for seven years  around the hills. So the forests here still fertile. We hear the calls of gibbons every moring.

Our main task here is to install solar cells to generate 12 voltage electric light for each household. After having dark nights for some 90 years, they can have light  in their homes and we belief this could help their livings easier. We also provide hot milo with cookies and lunch for the kids and villagers.

 All of us were suffered with the very cold and windy weather.We usually sit around the campfires at nights and early mornings while some kids and villagers bring firewood and join us.

It was very peaceful being with them under limited resources. Nobody mentioned about the hardship but we keep smiling and helping each other.

Siliently I sit and look at  the kids, villagers and the team.... my heart feel something... the contentment.



hot milo and cookies for all

school kids 

the village look from a school building

water from the hill for drinking and utilization

local life style

firewood 

for lunch together



light for life


sandles just somthing to wear... !











rotation farming for every seven years

a school building




a villager learn how to install light for the village road












under the same moon 















a kid bring firewood to the campfire







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