Today there is no shortage of problems in Burma in every sphere of life, but particularly in the field of education. This is primarily the result of the mismanagement of the economy by the current regime and its preference to expend on the military rather than education.
Burma has become one of the poorest nations in the world and the quality of education has reached its nadir. Among the 14 states and divisions of Burma, Kachin State is perhaps the least fortunate due to its northernmost and isolated position which further reduces access to resources inside Burma and in the outside world.
High inflation and widespread unemployment make it impossible for families to send their children to the poorly resourced schools that do continue to function. In addition, the ever increasing fees and poor quality of university tuition deprives the young people of tertiary education. Instead Kachin youth turn to drugs and crime, raising deep concerns about our future generations.
The NSEN is our response to these concerns. We, the members of the NSEN foundation, comprise a group of young Kachin people who are working in many different organizations –some of them outside Burma - and in various positions. As a result of a series of meetings and discussions, the NSEN was formally established on 9 April 2009 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Why This Name?
‘Nau Shawng’ is the Kachin name for the dancers who take the lead in the famous Manau festival. Thousands of people participate in a joyous dance around the multi-coloured totem posts called the Manau Shadung that is erected at the center of the festival site.
We have chosen this name because we believe that we must take the lead in supporting and enabling young people who wish to go to university. We Kachin must make education our first priority if we are to take our place in the modern world.
Our motto
Education is the key to survive and to change the world
Mission
Our mission is to promote the literacy rate of societies in Kachin State and to save the future generation.
Objectives
-To provide young people with educational opportunities inside Kachin State
-To assist young people to access scholarship opportunities abroad.
-To empower individuals through literacy to make a real contribution to their local community.
-To bring social justice and to achieve sustainable development, and to promote democracy and human rights in Kachin State and Burma.
Activities
Our immediate priority is to provide a TOEFL preparation course for students across Kachin State who can demonstrate a base level of competency.
Our Board will work closely with those local and international educational and scholarship agencies that have an interest in Burma, in order to access educational opportunities outside Burma for our students.
Our network will also seek to secure funding on behalf of our students to enable them to take the TOEFL test and enter universities abroad. Where appropriate, we will support and advise the students on how to submit their own proposals.
To Contact Us, please use the following addresses;
Mailing Address:
P.O Box 104
CMU Post Office
Chiang Mai 50202
Thailand
Contact No: +66 (0) 85864 1140
Email: nsen.education@gmail.com
Website: www.nseneducation.blogspot.com
