2018 Annual Report

20198 Annual ReportClick here to read our 2018 Annual Report. A Letter From the Board of Directors A very warm hello to our Shanta supporters! 2018 was an exciting year, filled with many opportunities for growth and learning. It was also a year of honoring our founders, Mike and Tricia Karpfen, and appreciating the amazing organization they [...]

What Did You Do On Your Summer Vacation?

Summer students practicing their conversational English and enjoying a snack in the outdoor classroom.This question is heard echoing in classrooms across the US this week as children and youth go back to school after a long break. Students share stories of camps, traveling, and outdoor adventures combine with intervals of giggles as fond memories of the past months with friends and teachers. Students in six Shanta partner villages [...]

Happy International Women’s Day!

Happy International Women's Day!Happy International Women's Day! Traditionally, women have been under represented in rural Myanmar. The men made the decisions for what they thought was best for the entire village. When we started the Village Development Teams we recognized the need for women to participate equally. Now our VDT's are equal part women and men, and in some villages [...]

Growing Dreams With Single Origin Coffee

Wai Ti and Coffee PlantWai Ti, of Pin Mi Kone village, shows us her young coffee plant in her bamboo shade house. While her coffee bean harvest may be a few years away, this dedicated entrepreneur is excited to take a chance on an experimental cash crop to increase her family's annual income. Wai Ti is 32 years young. [...]

Back to school in Pone Tan village

New Pone Tan Teachers HousingFor many students here in the United States, it’s time to go back to school. The first day of the school year is always a fresh start full of newness. New notebooks with pages that haven’t been opened; pens and sharpened pencils with erasers unblemished and that new eraser smell. New faces in your classroom, [...]