By: Hein Min Aung
She grew up in a rural area with no electricity and poor telecommunication which had very rare connections with other places. She dropped out of school in Grade-9 and had to stop her journey of formal education at the age of 14 since her family could not provide financial support any longer. Yet, she was lucky to possess a positive mindset inherited from her father and a motivation to learn from her life experiences.
Aunty Sue was born in Nyaung Shwe, Southern Shan State where Myanmar’s most renowned tourist attraction, Inle Lake, is located. Coming from a rural family, her childhood days were full, not with flowers and butterflies, but with obstacles and thorns that made her life harder. Nonetheless, her father, who was not educated but had a warm heart, was indeed a role model for her. He loved to befriend and take care of everyone around him, especially children, whom he regarded as the future of his community, and also foreigners who rarely visited Myanmar at that time because of unstable political situations in the country. He always invited foreigners to come and have an organic meal at his farm generously.
Photo Credit to Aunty Sue
But Sue did not know his intention and asked, “Dad, why are you inviting strangers to your farm without getting any benefits and without being able to speak their language?” His reply was, “Girl, they have come across a very far distance to be here so we should welcome them warmly. We are poor and can’t afford luxurious facilities but by caring and helping, they can feel integrated into our culture and become familiar with the place.” It was however quite difficult for her to understand.
The time came after 30 years. She was doing some housework when she saw a foreigner in front of her house. He came in and asked her father’s name who passed away 18 years ago, and showed some photos he took, saying that he had been looking for her family for more than a couple of weeks. And he said, “I came here 30 years ago when your dad invited me to have lunch in his farm. His friendliness made me feel warm and sense the hospitality of Myanmar people. Since then, I have decided to visit Myanmar again so here I am back, just to say ‘Thank you’ to him.” That critical moment made Sue have a mixture of feelings: being sad, happy, emotional, and understand the importance of humanity and the healing power of love.
Bamboo Delight Cooking Class
She then decided to maintain her father’s legacy to help tourists and foreigners, and with the advice of her friend from France, who was also a beneficiary of her father’s hospitality, on March 2013, she established the very first cooking class called Bamboo Delight in Nyaung Shwe together with her husband. Their vision was to teach visitors how to cook local foods decently and hygienically with their own recipe meanwhile promoting Myanmar’s cultures and values. Cooking with the heart, her cooking class has become tremendously successful, and in each year, more than 3000 visitors have come and learnt how to create delicious traditional cuisines.
She was inspired by her father that sharing and giving back is not only her way of living but also her own way of saying thank you. She thus considers her neighbours and her community as a part of a big family. Hence she tended to link her household business with certain branches of charity, targeting on education to which she had only limited access, and for children whom her father loved to care.
Hand to Hand Foundation
When Aunty Sue started her own family, her initial days were quite tough as she was not financially stable to earn a proper life with her husband, and two daughters. On her elder daughter’s first day of primary school, Sue did not have even 200 Myanmar Kyats to buy a book for her. While sending off to school by bicycle, she could speak nothing but was worrying so much for her daughter. Luckily, a young girl was donating books and pens on the way so they could grab some. Sue was very happy and could not find any words to thank the girl.
Back on the bicycle, her daughter said, “Mom, you can smile now,” and she realized that she could smile owing to the efforts of that girl whose name she did not even know. It made her aware that small actions could lead to large-scale impacts. After becoming financially sustainable, she vowed to herself that no one in her community should feel worried for a book and a pen. Thus she became ready to donate such stationery anytime and anywhere. She named this project “Hand to Hand Charity.” Furthermore, using 15% of profits from her cooking class and along with the support of donors, she funds Bamboo Delight Summer School and Library Project.
Bamboo Delight Summer School and Library
Aunty Sue had to face many difficulties throughout her life since she could not have adequate access to formal education but by reading, she earned the chance to assimilate knowledge. So, she frequently tells children that education is a primary source that provides tickets for a better future and to read more to be knowledgeable. Therefore she has founded Bamboo Delight Library with more than 3000 books, aiming to be a place where children can spend their leisure preciously.
Sue believes that exposure plays a crucial role in unleashing the potential of young children so she wants to help them dream big in spite of living in a remote region. With the contribution of local and international volunteers who pay a visit to her cooking class, a summer school has been systematically entrenched for local kids in her community, and classes vary from English, life skills, to certain lessons to enhance their communication and creativity as well as guiding them to have good morality. She usually motivates them to ask more questions to their foreigner teachers in order to foster their critical thinking skills and to know what’s happening in the world. Starting from 2013 with around 10 children from the neighbourhood, more than 300 underprivileged children have so far attended this summer school, and achieved significant impacts of improved communication skills and general knowledge, being said that they would like to join in the coming years too.
Sue has fought with many struggles and challenges along the way, nevertheless, her compassion helped her find the strength inside her to keep doing what she firmly believes. She has always taught herself, “In this life, whatever you own, whatever you get, one day, you have to leave everything when you die. The one thing that you can keep in your heart is what you did for others and for yourself to be happy.”
“I don’t think we may need certificates or degrees to bring positive changes to our community. All we need is sympathy and empathy, then we can create a better place to live without negativity,” Aunty Sue said, wearing a pure smile and looking for the beauty in the faces of the children.
For more info: Bamboo Delight Summer School and Library, Bamboo Delight Website
