Real Impact
The transformation in villages that partner with Shanta is profound and lasting. The villages we partner with have limited resources, no government support, and a daily struggle to meet basic needs. Hand-in-hand with villagers, we build schools and health clinics, train local leaders, improve infrastructure, and empower communities to change their own realities. These changes uplift every household, creating hope and momentum for the future.
Real Impact
The transformation in villages that partner with Shanta is profound and lasting. The villages we partner with have limited resources, no government support, and a daily struggle to meet basic needs. Hand-in-hand with villagers, we build schools and health clinics, train local leaders, improve infrastructure, and empower communities to change their own realities. These changes uplift every household, creating hope and momentum for the future.
“The changes I’ve seen are inspiring and humbling. What we’re doing isn’t just a one-off ‘now kids have a school’ or ‘now a village has clean water.’ All the pieces come together so that every family’s quality of life and sense of opportunity have been elevated by the programs we’ve supported.”
– Tricia Karpfen, Co-Founder
Women's Empowerment
Through women-led initiatives, Shanta Village Partners has supported health, family planning, and economic independence in 47 villages in Myanmar and 4 villages in Zambia.
- Provided essential healthcare services, from village nurse midwifery to prenatal vitamins and COVID-19 support.
- Enabled women to access contraception, empowering family choices.
- Held Women's Discussion Groups with 3,608 participants covering self-help, nutrition, reproductive health, personal hygiene, and home gardening.
- Impacted over 10,000 individuals across 51 villages.
- Formed Women’s Savings Groups, with 465 members across 25 villages working towards financial independence.
- Eight women self-help groups with 114 women participating in small group businesses.
Supporting Education
Shanta’s commitment to education has directly impacted 2,420 children and teachers, supporting learning from preschool to high school in 36 villages.
- Invested over $785,571 in educational resources and facilities.
- Constructed or refurbished 29 school buildings.
- Awarded 72 middle and high school scholarships.
- Established 15 community libraries.
- Sponsored 42 boarding school students.
- Offered English summer school classes to 471 students.
Expanding Livelihoods
Shanta’s sustainable livelihood programs have impacted over 20,000 people in 51 villages, creating meaningful, lasting income opportunities.
- Invested $349,014 in community-driven income generation projects.
- Issued 4,857 loans through community banks, achieving a 99.7% repayment rate.
- Projects include farming, chili, black ginger, soybean, and coffee farming.
- Promoted organic fertilizer production.
Developing Infrastructure
Shanta supports resilient village infrastructure projects that serve 16,150 people across 47 villages.
- Constructed durable bridges for safe access to commercial markets, schools, and healthcare facilities.
- Drilled boreholes and installed clean water systems.
- Developed road projects, improving market linkages for farmers and traders.
- Built health clinics for accessible healthcare.
- Delivered solar-powered electricity to households.
- Built schools and preschools.
- Built teacher housing to attract and retain high-quality teachers.
Building Participatory Leadership
At the heart of Shanta’s model, participatory leadership encourages community-led progress, now active in 51 villages and impacting over 20,130 people.
Integrated leadership training for 682 men and women, who apply their skills in Village Development Teams (VDTs) to drive local projects.
Village chief U Ohn Phay remarked, "By guiding the community according to Shanta’s six core values, we foster unity, responsibility, and accountability. In the past, as headman and village advisor, I oversaw only leaders of ten households. Now, with various committees in place, collaboration is more efficient, communication is simplified, and we have the systems necessary for effective work. I deeply appreciate Shanta for the progress our village has achieved in the last five years. When visiting village headmen see our advancements, they often express surprise that our village has developed significantly in just five years."
Women's Empowerment
Through women-led initiatives, Shanta Village Partners has supported health, family planning, and economic independence in 47 villages in Myanmar and 4 villages in Zambia.
• Provided essential healthcare services, from village nurse midwifery and health education to prenatal vitamins and COVID-19 support. • Enabled women to access contraception, empowering family choices. • Provided preventive and maintenance dental care to 2,091 individuals. • Held Women’s Discussion Groups with 3,608 participants covering topics like self-help, nutrition, reproductive health, personal hygiene, and home gardening. • Impacting over 10,900 individuals across 51 villages. • Formed Women’s Savings Groups, with 465 members across 25 villages working towards financial independence. • Eight women self-help groups with 114 women participating in small group businesses such as agricultural traders (e.g., corn and garlic), grocery businesses (e.g., rice, octane fuel, cooking oil, cigars, and rice crackers), and mobile phone top-ups.
Supporting Education
Shanta’s commitment to education has directly impacted 2,420 children and teachers, supporting learning from preschool to high school in 36 villages.
• Invested $349,014 in community-driven income generation projects. • Issued 4,837 loans through community banks, achieving an outstanding 99.9% repayment rate. Projects include pig farming, chili, black ginger, soybean and coffee farming, and organic fertilizer production. Daw Nang Pauk's expressed her view on ginger cultivation, stating, "Ginger cultivation proves to be more profitable than planting other crops during these seasons due to the high price of ginger. I plan to cultivate ginger annually and reinvest by planting more seeds. She also acquired the skill of producing high-quality organic manure from her pig husbandry. She emphasized the difference between natural and chemical fertilizers, stating that one application of organic manure is as effective as two applications of chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, the production of organic manure contributes to reducing fertilizer costs in agriculture.”
Expanding Livelihoods
Shanta’s sustainable livelihood programs have impacted 20,130 people in 51 villages, creating meaningful, lasting income opportunities.
• Invested over $785,571 in educational resources and facilities. • Constructed or refurbished 29 school buildings, providing safe and engaging learning environments. • Awarded 72 middle and high school scholarships, opening doors to further education. • Established 15 community libraries, expanding learning resources for students. • Sponsored 42 boarding school students and provided permanent housing for 66 teachers. • Offered English summer school classes to 471 students. "When there is a scholarship fund in the village, I have come to realize the importance of children's education seriously. The population is increasing, but the land is not expanding. All we can do is provide them with education as an inheritance. I don't want my children to have to work tirelessly in farming like their parents did. This is the age of education, and being educated will provide more job opportunities and allow them to progress. Additionally, in this technological age, we will support them in completing their education. I want them to become highly educated individuals whom not only their parents but also the public can rely on.” U Khone Ma, the parent of the scholarship student, said.
Developing Infrastructure
Shanta supports resilient village infrastructure projects that serve 16,150 people across 47 villages.
• Constructed durable bridges for safe access to commercial markets, schools, and healthcare facilities. • Drilled boreholes and installed clean water systems to improve community health. • Developed road projects, improving market linkages for farmers and traders • Built health clinics for accessible healthcare. • Delivered solar-powered electricity to households, bringing sustainable energy home. • Built schools and preschools, increasing and enhancing educational opportunities for village children. • Built teacher housing to attract and retain high-quality teachers.
Building Participatory Leadership
At the heart of Shanta’s model, participatory leadership encourages community-led progress, now active in 51 villages and impacting over 20,130 people.
Integrated leadership training for 682 men and women, who apply their skills in Village Development Teams (VDTs) to drive local projects. Village chief U Ohn Phay remarked, "By guiding the community according to Shanta’s six core values we foster unity, responsibility, and accountability. In the past, as headman and village advisor, I oversaw only leaders of ten households. Now, with various committees in place, collaboration is more efficient, communication is simplified, and we have the systems necessary for effective work. I deeply appreciate Shanta for the progress our village has achieved in the last five years. When visiting village headmen see our advancements, they often express surprise that our village has developed significantly in just five years."