While traveling in Myanmar in 2002, we visited an orphanage for boys in the Inle Lake area of the Shan State. It was at that time that we decided to form Child Shelter International in order to raise money for a girls’ orphanage. At that time, we knew only that land had been donated and that there was a Dutch charitable organization also involved in the orphanage project. We knew that something had to be done for the many orphaned girls in the area.

In November of 2003 we returned to Inle Lake, with money we had raised in our first year and suitcases full of school supplies. Since our last visit, we found that the group that had built the boys’ orphanage had become as concerned as we with the plight of the girls.

At the orphanage site we found that there were already 18 girls (and one little boy--he and his sister were foundlings and too young to be separated) being housed and cared for in a provisional building.

The representative of the Dutch group happened to be visiting while we were there. Together, we spent several days learning all we could about the primary needs of the children and the community. We met with tribal chiefs, village elders, and orphanage committee members and came up with a plan to coordinate all of our efforts to ensure that the girls would have a permanent building, ongoing support, education and vocational training. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to participate in this coordinated effort to provide for the future of the orphans at Inle Lake.

Before our departure, we heard about another orphanage in the province that was also in great need. We made a donation to them, which they used to buy epilepsy medicine for one of the children. We plan to keep in touch with them to see what further needs they might have.