Do you remember your favourite childhood book? Chances are you have fond memories exploring distant shores with buccaneer pirates or getting lost down a rabbit hole where fairies played in magical glens and animals went on wild adventures.
For many children in Myanmar the fantasy world found within the pages of a book is not a common experience. The production of children’s books in Myanmar is limited and the books available often do not reflect the diverse cultures or languages of the country.
Lack of access to books during early childhood can have a negative impact on development, from the age of two to seven children are at their peak age for learning language. Picture books, which combine verbal and visual stimuli, offer nourishment to a child’s growing mind.
In an effort to increase the literacy levels of children in Myanmar, the Benevolent Youth Association and the Myanmar Storytellers collaborated in 2004 to form the Third Story Project.
The Project produces children’s books specifically designed for a Myanmar audience. The stories told in the books vary, but they all have an undercurrent running through promoting peace, tolerance and diversity.
Designers from Hla Day worked with the team at the Third Story Project to develop their latest innovation - a library in a box. Designed to be given to schools the box contains 22 children’s books as well as a teachers resource and worksheets.
Mother of two and founder of Hla Day, Ulla Kroeber, is a passionate advocate of the Third Story Project and their work within Myanmar.
“The Third Story Project is a wonderful initiative,” she said. “It not only helps to improve the educational level of children in a fun way, but the books also inspire imagination and help develop critical thinking skills.”
Hla Day has sold Third Story Books since it first open its doors on Pansodan Street in 2016 and has developed a range of finger puppets to go with each story.
“The finger puppets are really cute, they add an extra element to the books and help children play along with the story,” Ulla said.
Taking their support one step further, Hla Day announced today that they would donate two boxes of books every time one of their staff members celebrated a birthday.
Board member from the Pann Pyoe Lett Foundation (PPLF) / Alice Early Childhood Resource Centre, Ms. K Seng Raw, received the first donation of books from the new initiative.
Ms K Seng Raw said she was very grateful to receive the books saying they will make a big difference to the children her organisation works with.
“PPLF is a resource for early childhood care and development service providers,” she said. “Enabling access to educational resources is a big part of what we do, so these books are a great addition to our program.”
“Research from UNICEF shows that the early childhood sector in Myanmar suffers from very limited resources, education tools and reference books for trainers, teachers and the children themselves,” Ms K Seng Raw said.
Ms K Seng Raw is delivering the books to Pekhone Township, Southern Shan State where they are working with children in Southern Shan State aged eight to 13 who have the responsibility to care for their younger siblings.
“The Alternative Parental Education Project or ‘child-to-child approach’ is critical for these kids, we want to make sure they are not missing out on an education because of circumstances out of their control,” Ms K Seng Raw said.
“A few boxes of books may seem like a small contribution, but it really does make a world of difference to the children we are working with.”
If you would like to support the education of children in Myanmar, visit Hla Day to send your own Library in a Box. We’ll make sure they get into the little hands of the children who need them most.
