Innovative Solar Lantern Donation Initiative Reaches Out To More Underprivileged Students

(Kyiek Tho, Mon State & Hpa-An, Kayin State, 10th May, 2016 – MPT, Myanmar’s first and leading telecommunications operator, held donation ceremonies at Pan Dor Monastic School in Kyiek Hto, Mon State and Taung Dan Tharthanarpyu Monastic School in Hpa-An, Kayin State as part of its innovative “Lighting The Way Forward” corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative to provide solar-powered lanterns to monastic schools in Myanmar. The ceremonies marked the latest phase of donations with a total of 174 solar lantern units being distributed to monastic schools throughout Kayin State, Mon State and Bago Region this month to bring light to classrooms and help improve the learning experience of underprivileged students in these areas.

At the Kyiek Hto ceremony, Sayardaw Ashin U Zawtikka, Head Monk of Seit Phu Taung Monastic School in Mon State expressed his sincere appreciation for the donation of the solar lanterns. “Without electricity and lighting, monastic education schools here struggle to provide a conducive environment during lessons – especially in the evenings or bad weather when it gets dark. MPT’s contribution will go a long way to help students study well as they pursue their education. We are thankful for their efforts,” said Sayardaw.

Representing monastic education in mountainous Kayin State, Head Monk Sayardaw Ashin U Dhamma also thanked MPT for making a positive difference in the students’ lives. “The monastic schools help serve many underprivileged children and youths as they sometimes have nowhere else to turn to for a formal education. Central to their educational experience are the classrooms where they spend a lot of their formative years and these solar lanterns will foster a better setting for them,” shared Sayardaw.

Through its “Lighting The Way Forward” initiative, over 1,200 solar lanterns have been distributed across Myanmar to-date, including donations earlier this year to monastic schools in Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway,Yangon, Shan, Kayah, Kachin and Chin. MPT is committed to bring a total of more than 2,000 solar lanterns to help about 58,000 underprivileged students in 632 schools nationwide study in brighter classrooms this year.  The ongoing rollout was made possible by the generous contributions of MPT customers who successfully made their bids at the recent MPT Vanity Numbers Auction in December 2015, which raised Ks 292.7 Million in funds for the cause.

The solar lanterns are products of Panasonic known as “Eneloop Solar Storage” units. Made of solar panels, storage batteries, and light-emitting diodes (LED), they store energy generated during the day, which can then be used to power the LED lights for 6 to 8 hours during the night or in low-light conditions when it is cloudy or raining. Each unit can function up to 24 hours on a single five-hour charge and has a unit lifetime of up to five years. Batteries for the units are replaceable, hence reducing operations cost as well as the need for maintenance. The solar storage units have the added capability to charge small mobile devices such as mobile phones via a USB port, allowing these isolated local communities to stay connected.

For more information on MPT’s CSR initiatives to improve the lives of communities around Myanmar, please visit https://www.mpt.com.mm/en/whats-new/csr-activities/ to learn more