Supporting Family and Building a Future: Ng’andu Mwiinga’s Story

Ng'andu with his family Supporting Family and Building a Future: Ng’andu Mwiinga’s Story At just 25 years old, Ng’andu Mwiinga of Mpasu village has stepped into a role many would not choose so young. After the passing of his father, he became the primary support for his widowed mother and younger siblings, providing food, clothing, [...]

Safe Motherhood, Shared Responsibility

    For Nang Win Kyi, childbirth was once filled with fear, uncertainty, and financial strain. Today, it tells a different story; one of preparation, partnership, and confidence made possible through community-led health education and shared responsibility. Nang Win Kyi is a 30-year-old mother of two from Myauk Hti Bwar Village. She and her husband [...]

New Women’s Self-Help Groups Taking Root in Zambia

Working Together Beyond financial support, these groups create a space for learning and connection. Women share ideas about health, livelihoods, leadership, and family well-being, often discussing topics that rarely have space elsewhere. Over time, these conversations help women grow in confidence and strengthen their ability to make decisions for themselves and their households. The ripple [...]

Khai Goes to Whitman

Witman Panel In December, Shanta’s Global Program Manager, Khai, was invited to participate with a team to teach a one-week intensive class at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA. Joining Anna Taft, Executive Director of Tandana Foundation, and Madjalia Seynou, Executive Director of Farm Sahel, the team gave students an opportunity to learn concretely how [...]

Unlocking the True Potential of Women’s Leadership

Until just a few years ago, Nan Khan Raim never imagined herself sitting in a village meeting, let alone speaking up, managing funds, or helping guide major community projects. At 33, she juggles life as a farmer, a wife, and a mother of three in Ham Phoe Pay village. Her family grows corn, pigeon peas, [...]

Small Library, Big Impact: A Village’s Path to Confidence and Connection

Nestled in the quiet hills of Taunggyi Township, Ham Phoe Pay Village is home to about 500 people across 100 households. Life here revolves around the farming of corn, rice, and beans, as well as the production of mustard seed oil. While the village’s hardworking spirit is evident, education has long struggled to take root. [...]

Empowered by Books: A Learner’s Journey through the Library

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 [...]

Historic Cholera Crisis Strikes Zambia; Shanta and VAP Respond

In the midst of the worst Cholera outbreak in Zambian history, Shanta Foundation and FLC’s Village Aid Project will launch an ambitious, three-year, water and sanitation infrastructure project that should reduce the risk of cholera in the Siyowi region outside Mazabuka.  Responding to the request of village development leaders, VAP and Shanta will travel to [...]

Preschool Leads to Brighter Futures

Parents in Hti Kan Laung village lack the education and resources to nurture their children as much as they would like to. Their primary focus is providing meals and emergency care when the children are unwell. Rural parents often struggle to earn enough and must take their children to work, affecting their health, delaying learning, [...]

Meet the Branson’s

Jeff and Laura Branson inspire me. Laura is a retired nurse and Jeff is a retired property caretaker. Once or twice a year we meet, and they want to hear detailed updates on what is happening in Zambia and Myanmar. They ask a lot of great questions, especially about our female empowerment programs and how [...]