Introducing Shanta's model to a new community in Myanmar At Shanta Foundation, selecting a new village for partnership is more than just a checklist; it’s a thoughtful, community-first process grounded in trust, listening, and respect. Each year between August and November, our regional teams set out to identify new village partners. These are some of [...]
The Thein Lay Pyar Village Women’s Self-Help Group was formed in September 2023 with 16 members. Within a month, they began launching small businesses by investing $553 in phone top-up cards (adding minutes to cellular phones) and snack crackers using funds from their savings group. They recognized that engaging in business was more advantageous than [...]
Ma Tin Htwe reading to her grandmother Ma Tin Htwe, a vibrant 12-year-old girl from Htee Kan Laung Village, is currently a fifth-grade student. At a young age, Ma Tin Htwe moved in with her grandparents when her mother remarried. Reflecting on this change, she said, “When my mother remarried, I felt she didn’t love [...]
Learning in the Field U Pwint, a 40-year-old married man living in Kaung Hote Village, Taunggyi Township, participated in a soybean cultivation initiative by Shanta Foundation in 2024. This initiative changed his traditional farming practices, which previously consisted of growing crops like corn, rice, garlic, peanuts, and sunflowers. As part of the project, U Pwint [...]
Women's Group Discussion Meeting We have an exciting update from our Zambian partner villages! This spring, we are launching a new women’s empowerment program: Women’s Group Discussions (WGD). In our 4 Zambian partner villages, women will be trained to lead small group discussions in their villages. The discussion topics will range from reproductive health to [...]
Shanta Foundation is thrilled to announce Erika Van Bibb as our new Director of Development! Erika brings years of experience in fundraising, vision casting, organizational development, and equitable leadership to our team. She has a passion for empowering individuals and communities as proven through her professional experience. Erika's prowess in fundraising, curriculum development, and brand [...]
The above images are from villages slated for major infrastructure projects this year. 2025 marks a significant year for Shanta Foundation as we embark on a crucial set of infrastructure projects in 8 (out of 17) of our partner villages in Myanmar. These projects, encompassing school construction, road renovations, water systems, and bridge building, are [...]
Zambia gained its independence on October 24, 1964, after years of British colonial rule. Before independence, the country was known as Northern Rhodesia and was economically valuable to the British due to its rich copper reserves. However, the local population was largely excluded from political leadership and economic benefits. Initially, Zambians demanded greater African representation [...]
You might wonder why Shanta’s village partnerships take six whole years. (we get this question a lot!) Yes—it’s a big commitment! But every part of the process is intentional, with everyone in the village fully involved. We focus on things like leadership skills (a time-consuming educational process), economic development through projects and community banking, empowering [...]
A gaggle of girls on a dried-up soccer field in the late afternoon laughing and dancing might look like a group of kids just being kids, but these groups can serve a greater purpose than fun just for the sake of it. The girls grab each other’s hands and step backward, all the while joyously [...]
Introducing Shanta's model to a new community in Myanmar At Shanta Foundation, selecting a new village for partnership is more than just a checklist; it’s a thoughtful, community-first process grounded in trust, listening, and respect. Each year between August and November, our regional teams set out to identify new village partners. These are some of [...] 
The Thein Lay Pyar Village Women’s Self-Help Group was formed in September 2023 with 16 members. Within a month, they began launching small businesses by investing $553 in phone top-up cards (adding minutes to cellular phones) and snack crackers using funds from their savings group. They recognized that engaging in business was more advantageous than [...] 
Ma Tin Htwe reading to her grandmother Ma Tin Htwe, a vibrant 12-year-old girl from Htee Kan Laung Village, is currently a fifth-grade student. At a young age, Ma Tin Htwe moved in with her grandparents when her mother remarried. Reflecting on this change, she said, “When my mother remarried, I felt she didn’t love [...] 
Learning in the Field U Pwint, a 40-year-old married man living in Kaung Hote Village, Taunggyi Township, participated in a soybean cultivation initiative by Shanta Foundation in 2024. This initiative changed his traditional farming practices, which previously consisted of growing crops like corn, rice, garlic, peanuts, and sunflowers. As part of the project, U Pwint [...] 
Women's Group Discussion Meeting We have an exciting update from our Zambian partner villages! This spring, we are launching a new women’s empowerment program: Women’s Group Discussions (WGD). In our 4 Zambian partner villages, women will be trained to lead small group discussions in their villages. The discussion topics will range from reproductive health to [...] 
Shanta Foundation is thrilled to announce Erika Van Bibb as our new Director of Development! Erika brings years of experience in fundraising, vision casting, organizational development, and equitable leadership to our team. She has a passion for empowering individuals and communities as proven through her professional experience. Erika's prowess in fundraising, curriculum development, and brand [...] 
The above images are from villages slated for major infrastructure projects this year. 2025 marks a significant year for Shanta Foundation as we embark on a crucial set of infrastructure projects in 8 (out of 17) of our partner villages in Myanmar. These projects, encompassing school construction, road renovations, water systems, and bridge building, are [...] 
Zambia gained its independence on October 24, 1964, after years of British colonial rule. Before independence, the country was known as Northern Rhodesia and was economically valuable to the British due to its rich copper reserves. However, the local population was largely excluded from political leadership and economic benefits. Initially, Zambians demanded greater African representation [...] 
You might wonder why Shanta’s village partnerships take six whole years. (we get this question a lot!) Yes—it’s a big commitment! But every part of the process is intentional, with everyone in the village fully involved. We focus on things like leadership skills (a time-consuming educational process), economic development through projects and community banking, empowering [...] 
A gaggle of girls on a dried-up soccer field in the late afternoon laughing and dancing might look like a group of kids just being kids, but these groups can serve a greater purpose than fun just for the sake of it. The girls grab each other’s hands and step backward, all the while joyously [...]