The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It is a 2007 book by Professor Paul Collier exploring the reason why impoverished countries fail to progress despite international aid and support. In the book Collier argues that there are many countries whose residents have experienced little, if any, income growth over the 1980s and 1990s. On his reckoning, there are just under 60 such economies, home to almost 1 billion people.

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, An Entrepreneur’s Odyessey to Educate the World’s Concern, by John Wood Founder of Room to Read. “Our future goal is more ambitious than ever: to enable more than 10 million children in over a dozen developing world countries to maximize their educational experiences by 2015.”—-John Wood Founder of R2R. We are proud to share that through the end of 2009 Room to Read has…
Established: 9,220 libraries
Constructed: 1,129 schools
Published: 433 local language book titles
Printed: 4.1 million local books
Donated: 3.3 million English language books
Supported: 8,707 girls’ educations
Benefitted: 4,066,775 children!!

My Road to Deschapelles, by Grant Grant Mellion.The Road to Deschapelles is the story of an extraordinary couple who, in 1954, founded Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles in central Haiti and where they and the hospital have cared for the most needy and the sick for more than 40 years.   For over forty years Gwen Grant Mellon has lived and worked in Deschapelles, Haiti, where she and Dr. Larimer Mellon built and actively operated Hopital Albert Schweitzer. In these pages she tells her story of courage, inspiration, and humanitarian service. She tells us how she and Larry Mellon met, grew, changed their lives, and established a life-saving landmark for the benefit of the 216,000 people in Haiti’s Artibonite Valley. After the 2010 earth quake, was one of the only two hospitals still standing in Hait!!.

Song of HAITI, The Lives of Dr. Larimer and Gwen Mellon at the Albert Scheitzer Hospital of Deschapelles by Barry Paris.
“On Wednesday, October 18, 2000, Gwendolyn Grant Mellon will travel from Deschapelles Haiti and the Hopital Albert Schweitzer (HAS) which she founded with her husband, Dr. Larimer Mellon almost 50 years ago, to receive the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Award for Humanitarianism. The award is timely due to the recent release of “Song of Haiti,” a true-life love story, adventure story and biography by Barry Paris describing in compelling detail the lives of Dr. Larimer and Gwen Mellon and their legacy of remarkable service amidst the exotic voodoo atmosphere of Haiti.” HAS was started as a small hospital clinic and has grown into a medical center, a model worthy of duplication in other developing countries.  NO ONE WAS TURNED AWAY!

GIVING, How each of Us can Change the World, — Bill Clinton. “Bill Clinton’s Giving is an inspiring look at how individual endeavors can save lives and solve problems, and it offers compelling examples of both citizen and corporate activism at work in the world today.–OPRAH”

The Wisdom of Whores, bureaucrats, brothels and the business of AIDS by elizabeth pisani. Elizabeth Pisani is the director of Ternyata Ltd., a public health consultancy based in London, UK. She is formerly a journalist and currently an epepidemiologistbest known for her work on HIV/AIDS, in particular for her controversial book The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS.

A LAND LIKE NONE YOU KNOW, Awe and wonder in Burma on the road to Mandalay, Patrick Forsyth. This is a lively and engaging account of his journey. The author’s sincerity and affinity with the many common people he meets on his unusual journey shines through.

Welcome to the Bangkok Slaughterhouse, The Battle for Human Dignity in Bangkok’s Bleakest Slums, Father Joe Maier. For twenty-five years, Father Joe Maier, a Catholic priest, has lived and worked in Bangkok’s bleakest slums, establishing more than thirty schools, five shelters for street kids, and the city’s first AIDS hospice and home for AIDS mothers with AIDS kids – working with and in opposition to authority, while being threatened and shot at and, ultimately, praised by even his enemies. Here he tells the stories of the poorest of Thailand’s poor.

Three Cups of Tea, is a New York Times bestselling book by Greg Mortenson, one-man mission to counteract extremism by building schools, especially for girls, throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban.

Another Quiet American, Stories of Life in Laos —Brett Dakin.This is a first-hand account of a poor country struggling with economic crisis, political instability, and a legacy of war. Above all, it is the story of a young American coming to terms with his country’s role in the world at the beginning of a new century.”No other personal account of contemporary Laos is as informative, under-the-surface, and well-written as Another Quiet American. By paying close attention to the Lao and falang (foreign) lives around him, Dakin makes Vientiane jump off the printed page.” Joe Cummings, author of Lonely Planet Laos

Stalking the Elephant Kings – In Search of Laos by Christopher Kremmer. Twenty years after the Indochina wars, Christopher Kremmer visited Laos. Stalking the Elephant Kings tells the story of a Southeast Asian revolution and its tragic consequences. Based on extensive travel inside Laos and exhaustive research abroad, the book reveals new details of the fate of one of Asia’s oldest monarchies. A must for both student and traveler, it provides a contemporary portrait of a country which will play a key role in the future of Indochina, as well as a glimpse of its secret history.

Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace With Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Mike Bryan and Greg Mortenson.By 2009, Mortenson and his foundation, the Central Asia Institute, have established more than 130 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, most built especially for girls. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and achieved celebrity status in the world of philanthropy on the strength of his mega-bestselling book about his endeavors, THREE CUPS OF TEA….More memorably, he provides stirring examples of how tolerance can diffuse aggression by sharing a few of the success stories from the more than 50,000 students he has helped to educate.

Nina and John share their passion for helping to bring aid to S.E. Asia — Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). They help by supplying medical, educational and nutritional basic necessities to poor communities as well as connecting people.

The Angkor Hospital for Children, founded by renowned Japanese photographer Kenro Izu in 1999, supported by Friends Without A Border, provides comprehensive medical care to children in the Siem Reap area. On average, 400 children and their families arrive at the hospital each day. Recognized by Cambodia’s Ministry of Health as an official teaching hospital, it serves as a training site for health professionals throughout Cambodia through its Medical Education Center. The Capacity Building and Health Education Program works to both strengthen the capacity and improves the quality of local health centers and works with community members to teach good public health practices. 

Charity Navigator, America’s leading independent charity evaluator, endorses Friends Without A Border with four stars.

www.angkorhospital.org | www.fwab.org

And that it truly is, serving the Buddhist, Muslims, Hindus and Christians of Yangon city. We were greeted at the entrance by hordes of patients lined up to collect their prescribed medications. The out patient department was calling patient number 346! And it was only 10:30am. Our group arrived laden with bags of medical supplies, donations in kind from Canada, making for difficult passage in an already very crowd space.

The donations we bring include sutures, anti-biotics, ambu-bags, multi-vitamins, skin oitments, surgical blades, steri-strips,

EDUCATION

• The number of children using the centre daily has more than doubled, with well over 300 children coming to the centre daily, over last year.
• Over 220 children studying full time in five classrooms in our special education program representing a 100% increase in 12 months.
• Over 100 children participating in art, IT, English and sport activities.
• All students because of lack of money, child-rearing responsibilities or simple parental neglect are not ready to attend or not able to afford public schools.
• For most of these children this is their first opportunity for any schooling.

IT TRAINING

• IT training represents an important component of our youth programs.
• The existing IT room has 10 computers.
• Over 120 children use it weekly.

SPECIAL NEEDS

• At M’Lop Tapang, all children deserve the best care and support we can provide.
• We have started a program for children with special needs (physical and mental disabilities) who used to spend their days in the slums without any access to education, recreation, stimulation and appropriate care due to the state of extreme poverty in which they and their families live.
• The program is currently being housed in an adapted. Children are given a chance to interact and bond with other kids through arts and crafts activities.

COUNSELLING

• Counselling abused children, including through art therapy activities, is a key aspect in helping them transition to a better and safer childhood.
• We estimate that over 50% of the 1,500 children reached by M’Lop Tapang have suffered some form of abuse (sexual, physical, mental) and at least 100 need individual and intensive counselling.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

• M’Lop Tapang trains over 100 volunteers every year.
• We has received funding from DFID to expand this program and to create a large number of young volunteers in the community in order to share the responsibility of helping street children with the whole town.

Two Sample Itineraries:
(a) 5-day-Itinerary with one night each in Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake
(b) 11-day-Itinerary with one night in Golden Rock, two nights each in Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake and total of three nights in Yangon.

5-Day-Itinerary

Day 01 : Arrive Yangon (International flight in the Morning)

Upon arrival in Yangon, you’ll be met and transferred to hotel. You’ll be guided to the following places of interest in Yangon.

• Chaukhtatkyi Reclining Buddha
• Landmark Shwedagone Pagoda
• China Town evening market

Overnight in Yangon at Kandawgyi Palace Hotel / Deluxe Room (B)

Day 02: Yangon – Bagan (W9009 – 0630 / 0725)

Tour of Bagan (private car)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to Yangon airport for your flight to Bagan. Upon arrival in Bagan, you’ll be transferred to hotel for checking in. Then, you’ll be guided for sightseeing to the places of interest in Bagan.

• the most beautiful Ananda temple
• the landmark Shwezi Gone temple
• Lacquer ware handicraft
• Horse cart ride among the ancient temple
• Sunset and Panoramic view from a fairy high temple

Overnight in Bagan at Bagan Thande Hotel / Deluxe Room (B) more

Day 03: Bagan – Mandalay (W9009 – 0750 / 0820)

Tour of Mandalay and environ (private car)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to Bagan airport for your flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival in Mandalay, you will be guided for places of interest of the ancient cities in and around Mandalay city.

• The longest wooden bridges of Amarapura
• mahagandayone monastery of Amarapura
• Landmark Mahamuni temple of Mandalay
• Gold Leaf pounding handicrafts centre
• Embroidery weaving handicrafts centre
• Golden Palace monastery
• The temple of the world biggest book
• Sunset at the Mandlay Hill

Overnight in Mandalay at Mandalay City Hotel / Deluxe Room (B)

Day 04: Mandalay – Heho (W9009 – 0845 / 0915)

Heho – Lake Inle (private car and boat)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to the Mandalay Airport for the flight to Heho. Upon arrival in Heho airport, you’ll be met and transferred to the jetty on Lake Inle. It would take an hour drive in a private car to the jetty. You can enjoy beautiful scenery of Shan Plateau, the vegetation and the Tribal people at work. After that, you’ll be fascinating on an orientation tour on this magical lake by private motorboat featuring the boatmen with their unique ‘one-legged’ rowing style and visits to floating houses built on stilts. You’ll also be guided The follwoing places of interest in Inle can be visited (with/ without tour guide).

• Landmark Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
• Ngaphaechaun Monastery
• Local handicraft centres (silk weaving, black smith)

There would also be some time for you to stroll around the lake and enjoy the scenery. Overnight in Inle at Amazing Nyaung Shwe Hotel / Deluxe Room (B)

Day 05: Lake Inle – Heho (private car)

Heho – Yangon (W9009 – 0940 / 1035)

Depart Yangon (International flight in the Evening). After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to Heho airport (1-hour-drive) for your flight to Yangon.

Upon arrival in Yangon, you’ll be guided to the following places of interest before you are transferred to Yangon International Airport for your flight to onward destination.

• Private walking tour in the Colonial downtown of Yangon
• Bogyoke Aung San Market

In the late afternoon, you’ll be transferred to Yangon International airport for your flight to onward destination.

==========end of itinerary ==========

11-Day-Itinerary

Day 01 – Arrive Yangon (International Flight in the morning)

Yangon day tour

Upon arrival in Yangon you’ll be met and transferred to hotel in a private van. After that, you’ll be guided for sightseeing in a private van to the places of interest in Yangon.

• Private walking tour in the Colonial downtown of Yangon
• Chaukhtatkyi Reclining Buddha
• Landmark Shwedagone Pagoda
• China Town evening market

Overnight in Yangon at Governor’s Residence (Deluxe Room) - (B)

Day 02 – Yangon – Bago – Golden Rock

After breakfast at hotel, the guided journey to Golden Rock will be started in a private car. A long the way, you’ll be fascinating meeting villagers, seeing village activities and witnessing farmers at work on the paddy fields etc.. After 1 1/2 -hour drive from Yangon, you’ll be able to enjoy lively crowded Bago farmers’ market. Then, continue the journey until you get to the base-camp of Kyaikthiyo mountain range (2-and-half-hour-drive) where you’ll be transferred by local pick-up truck to the two-third of the mountain track (public transport which would take about 45 minutes drive up and down hills). Enjoy an up-hill trekking for about 45 minutes to complete the journey to Golden Rock. (There is another option to go up on a sedan chair carried by four people. It is fun and quite an experience.) Witness the wonders of Golden Rock and its lively pilgrims; enjoy the scenery and watch sunset. Overnight in Golden Rock at Mountain Top Hotel (Deluxe Room) - (B)

Day 03 – Golden Rock – Yangon

After breakfast at hotel, enjoy the morning scenery on the pagoda platform and watch sunrise. After that, you’ll be transferred on foot to the first one-third of the track (30 minutes down-hill light trek). And then, to the base-camp by pick-up truck (public transport, which would take 30-minute-drive). Upon arrival at the base-camp, you’ll be guided for the return journey to Yangon by the same car waiting at the base camp. Along the way, you can enjoy many interesting sights and sounds as well as more sites to be covered in Bago such as Shwethalyaung reclining Buddha. You’ll also be able to witnessed historic World War (II) allied cemetery and Golden Banyan Tree. Overnight in Yangon at Governor’s Residence (Deluxe Room) - (B)

Day 04 – Yangon – Heho Airport (flight HK717 – 1100/1210)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transfer from hotel to Yangon airport for your flight to Heho. Upon arrival in Heho, you’ll be met and transferred to Lake Inle (1-hour-drive). Along the way, you can witness tribal people at work and picturesque hilly region of Shan State. After that, you’ll be guided for sightseeing to the places of interest:

• Floating villages and houses built on stilt
• Way of lives of fisher men and leg rowers
• Landmark Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
• Ngaphaechaun Monastery
• Local handicraft centers (silk weaving)

Overnight in Inle at Inle Princess Resort (Chalet Suite Room) – B only

Day 05 – Inle Lake and environ

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to Indein village and visit its traditional 5-day-market of Lake Inle area. The 5-day market rotates around the villages and towns of Shan state, where several tribal people in their colorful costume come from the nearby villages to sell their indigenous agricultural products. After that, you’ll be guided to the places of interest in Indein.

• Scenic trip up a narrow creek
• Idyllic site of Indein with its 17th century ruins of pagodas in an ‘Indiana Jones’ type setting
• Strolling along the trail among the bamboo grove

Return to Lake Inle and enjoy free and easy at leisure at the serene atmosphere Inle princess Resort and its neighborhood. Overnight in Inle at Inle Princess Resort (Chalet Suite Room) – B only

Day 06 – Inle Lake – Heho Airport – Mandalay (flight: HK721 – 1625/1655)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to Nampan village and visit the biggest 5-day-market of Lake Inle area. Then, you’ll be guided for visiting the floating garden, where the tribal people grow vegetable and flowers. You’ll also be guided to the Shan paper production cottages, where paper are made out of raspberry barks. After that, transferred back to the resort and check out and then guided to the Heho airport for your flight to Mandalay. Upon arrival in Mandalay, you’ll be met and transferred to the hotel (1-hour drive). Overnight in Mandalay at Sedona Hotel (Deluxe Room) – B only

Day 07 – Mandalay – Amarapura – Sagain – Mandalay

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be guided to see the places of interest in the ancients towns of Amarapura and Sagain as well as to the places of interest in Mandalay.

• Mahagandayone monastery of 1500 monks and observe their important morning activities
• The world longest teak bridge, U Bein
• Silver smith work of art of Sagain
• Scenic U-Min-Thoun-Se Temple
• Landmark Mahamuni temple
• Gold Leaf pounding work of art of Mandalay
• Mandalay Hill for Sunset

Overnight in Mandalay at Sedona Hotel (Deluxe Room) – B only

Day 08 – Mandalay – Mingun – Mandalay – Bagan (flight: HK722 – 1715/1740)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be transferred to the jetty in Mandalay for half-day excursion to Mingun, an ancient capital before Mandalay on the other side of Irrawaddy River.You’ll be enjoying sightseeing to the places of interest in Mingun and the relaxing private boat ride (45 minutes one way):

• Interesting way of lives along the river
• the landmark unfinished Pagoda
• the world biggest ringing bell
• the typical village lives of a village in upper Burma

And then, return to Mandalay by the private boat. After that, you’ll be guided to the Mandalay airport for your flight to Bagan. Fly from Mandalay to Bagan. Upon arrival in Bagan, you’ll be met and transferred to Hotel. Overnight in Bagan at Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel (Deluxe Room) (B)

Day 09 – Bagan

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be guided for a full day sightseeing to the places of interest in Bagan.

• Landmark Shwe Zi Gone Temple
• Artistic Ananda temple
• Unique Manuha and Nanpaya temple
• Lacquer ware handicraft
• Horse cart ride among the ancient temple
• Sunset and Panoramic view from a fairy high temple

Overnight in Bagan at Thiripyitsaya Sakura Hotel (Deluxe Room) (B)

Day 10 – Bagan – Popa – Bagan Bagan – Yangon (flight: HK722 – 1755/1915)

After breakfast at the hotel, you’ll be guided for an excursion to extinct volcano, Mount Popa and the villages along the way.

• A visit to Palm tree village and observe the way of life of the villagers
• the place of spirit worshiping and animism
• a beautiful resort of Mount Popa
• Popa Hillock and its wild life

Return to Bagan in the afternoon. After that, you’ll be transferred to Bagan Airport for your flight to Yangon. Upon arrival in Yangon airport, you’ll be met and transferred to the hotel. Overnight in Yangon at Governor’s Residence (Deluxe Room) - B only

Day 11- Dapart Yangon (International Flight in the Morning)

Breakfast at the hotel. After that, you’ll be transferred to Yangon International Airport for the flight to onward destination.

========= end of itinerary=========

Kindly be advised: Due to current economic situation and very few tourist arrivals in the country, the service providers are operating the business in a careful and limited scale and price structures are constantly varied and no one guarantee for long term.

Cost of travel will be provided upon request based on the price point of the traveler. Hotel options vary, place of travel will vary according to personal interest. Therefore, we have we have kept the above example itinerary simple due to the current lack of flights, unknown budget of travelers.

We stand by ready to serve you giving the best quote for the prices on one by one individual basis, upon request. Our services include personal travel translators, guided tours, flights, hotels, private car, boat, private bus, and trekking. Trips can be arranged for a party of one to a large group. It is our pleasure to serve you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
William Myatwunna (william@myanmargoodnewstravel.com)
Good News Travels (www.MyanmarGoodNewsTravel.com)
Phone: + 951-37 50 50 , + 951-25 38 45
Phone: + 959-5116 256 , + 959-514 8180
E-mail: goodnewstravels@gmail.com
Address: FMI Centre, 4th Flr., Unit 18, Bogyoke Aung San Rd., Yangon
Wesite: http://www.myanmargoodnewstravel.com/where-we-are.htm

Our first trip was with Serge Pun and Associates (SPA) travelling from Yangon to Pathein with 109 of their donors, volunteers and staff all involved with the initial emergency response. It quickly became apparent as to why international aid agencies all had so many difficulties and were met with a logistic nightmares trying to deliver assistance to the homeless victims of Cyclone Nargis.

We departed Yangon City at 7:00PM for the 100-mile journey on a very rough road. After arriving in Pathein 10 hours later, at 4:30am, we transferred to an express riverboat for a further 4-hour trip arriving at the village of Auk Pyun Wa on Middle Island at 9:00AM. At one point our river boat lost its steering coming to a halt up on mud flats due to deep fishing nets set up by local village entrepreneurs.

Our visit as a happy occasion, to witness the formal dedication ceremony attended by 35 foreign donors, 40 local donors and suppliers, 25 SPA logistics personal and field staff. The villagers had stayed up most of the night in anticipation of our arrival and this special ceremony.

Cyclone Nargis slammed into Middle Island (Hainggyi Island) completely burying the entire island underwater and completely destroying most villages, and trees in its path including the entire fishing village of Auk Pyun Wa as it sat exposed on the eastside. The population of 589 was reduced to 368, with 127 huts, the monastery, the pagoda, the primary school, and four shrimp paste factories were badly damaged or destroyed. SPA, a Myanmar and Singaporean based business, chose the task to rebuild one of the 50 totally destroyed villages in the 700-kilometer area assigned to them and other local businesses by the Burmese government. SPA ‘s choice of rehabilitation was to create an “environmentally sustainable pilot village” as a model for the entire SE Asian region with the expert knowledge of the Israeli team lead by Dr. Efraim Laor, world leader on large scale sudden disasters. The funding was provided by the Singaporean Red Cross (80%) and by private local and foreign donors (20%). The Burmese government supplied the timber, alu-zinc roofing sheets and concrete.

The result includes 125 homes constructed at a cost per home of $900 USD, each with running water and electric lighting (solar powered), a common gravity storage water tower, elevated walkways, a new river pier, a village administration building, a village medical clinic, a primary school, and a substantial two storey concrete building, raise on concrete pillars for a community center and a refuge in the case of future life threatening storms or tsunamis. The total cost for the entire village was less than $500,000 US!

It was such a contrast to the horrors experienced by these villagers just a few months before. Few trees and shrubs remained after Cyclone Nargis swept through. Following the formal dedication and handover ceremony, monks gave blessings and a feast and ceremonial activities followed.

The second stop on this journey was a nearby village, Thin Gan Gone Village, which is just starting to rebuild new housing and a new medical clinic. The cost of this clinic, fully equipped, will be $10,000USD. The concrete shell of a pre-existing building will be used to make way for healthcare. CW Asia Fund has committed to fund this much needed clinic. The pre existing structure will provide a cost effective building that will be able to withstand future flooding.

When the storm struck this village located on low lying land on the west side of a stream, the stream became a raging torrent that washed out the small wooden bridge. The villagers in this lower village drowned, as they could not cross to reach the nearby higher village. SPA had just completed the construction of a new large concrete bridge that will withstand future floods so that this tragic outcome will not be repeated.

AZG sent 250 national staff from the large existing programmes in Myanmar and used the medical reserves that were already present in the country.

In the first weeks AZG sent out 8 distribution teams to ensure the distribution of food (rice, oil, fish, beans) and non-food items (sheeting, bed nets, blankets, toolkits) and 8 watsan teams to clean up ponds and wells. Distribution was executed at household level, ensuring that all recipients did acquire the necessary items. AZG sent also 28 mobile medical teams to conduct medical consultations, set up feeding centers for malnutrition and opened 8 fixed clinics in the Ngapudaw and Laputta townships.

The slogan of this charitable hospital is “For the poor of all communities” and that it truly is, serving the Buddhist, Muslims, Hindus and Christians of Yangon city. We were greeted at the entrance by hordes of patients lined up to collect their prescribed medications. The out patient department was calling patient number 346! And it was only 10:30am. Our group arrived laden with bags of medical supplies, donations in kind from Canada, making for difficult passage in an already very crowd space. The donations we bring each year include sutures, anti-biotics, ambu bags, multi-vitamins, skin ointments, surgical blades, steri-strips, dental instruments and book.