Building local capacity is one of the foundational concepts in Shanta Village Partners’ six-year Village Partnership Model. It reflects our belief that lasting change happens when communities gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead their own development. From the beginning, our goal has been to ensure that villagers, not outside organizations, are [...]
Team Member Spotlight Khun Aung Sein, Project Manager My name is Khun Aung Sein, and I was born into an agricultural family in Naree Village, Taunggyi Township. The youngest of four siblings, I completed my early education locally and earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from Mawlamyine University in 2010. Shortly after graduation, [...]
As one of the most beloved figures in Shanta Village Partners’ history, Po Ja’s compassion, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to his community shaped the very foundation of our work. In this remembrance, co-founders, Tricia and Mike Karpfen share reflections on Po Ja’s life and legacy: a legacy that continues to guide and inspire [...]
Our partnership villages in Zambia launched the Women Action Group (WAG) initiative, a program adapted from Shanta’s long-running Women’s Group Discussion model in Myanmar (active since 2010). Shanta’s Global Program Manager, Khai, first trained our Zambian staff in May 2025, who then equipped 16 local women leaders to begin facilitating the program. The response was [...]
From Doubt to Confidence: U Bau’s Journey with School Accounting When Kan Lone village set out to build a new school, excitement was tangible, but so was the pressure of managing the project’s finances. For U Bau, a 53-year-old farmer of pigeon peas, rice, and groundnuts, the role of treasurer felt overwhelming at first. “I [...]
Team Member Spotlight Lamba Fikoloma, M & E Officer with People’s Action Forum Meet Lamba! He joined Shanta/PAF earlier in 2025 as our Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. He works closely with Khai, Shanta’s Global Program Manager, as well as Janet, Zambia’s Program Manager, to ensure proper tracking, assessment, and evaluation of programs in Zambia. We [...]
At Shanta Village Partners, we believe the most lasting change comes from within the community itself. That’s why our work is shaped by six guiding principles that center dignity, local leadership, and long-term impact. Community-Led Development We don’t prescribe solutions, we partner with villages to realize their vision. Community members lead every step of the [...]
In May 2015, the village of Kaung Khae began a transformative journey in partnership with Shanta Foundation (now Shanta Village Partners). Nestled high in the mountains, Kaung Khae is accessible only by a narrow, steep road, painstakingly built by the villagers themselves over several years using only hand tools. At the time, it was among [...]
Maung Dein village, situated in Pin Laung Township, has 47 households and a total population of 223. The villagers primarily farm corn. The village’s topography is encircled by sloping, barren land that is difficult to work. Farmers depend entirely on manual, hand labor to prepare the land and to distribute seeds and fertilizers. As this [...]
Rosa in her garden The community bank has been a game changer for Rosa Konye in Mpasu village in the southern Province of Zambia. 64-year-old Rosa has relied on gardening as her main source of income for the past 30 years. During those 30 years, the scope of her gardening was limited, and she struggled [...]
Building local capacity is one of the foundational concepts in Shanta Village Partners’ six-year Village Partnership Model. It reflects our belief that lasting change happens when communities gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead their own development. From the beginning, our goal has been to ensure that villagers, not outside organizations, are [...] 
Team Member Spotlight Khun Aung Sein, Project Manager My name is Khun Aung Sein, and I was born into an agricultural family in Naree Village, Taunggyi Township. The youngest of four siblings, I completed my early education locally and earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science from Mawlamyine University in 2010. Shortly after graduation, [...] 
As one of the most beloved figures in Shanta Village Partners’ history, Po Ja’s compassion, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to his community shaped the very foundation of our work. In this remembrance, co-founders, Tricia and Mike Karpfen share reflections on Po Ja’s life and legacy: a legacy that continues to guide and inspire [...] 
Our partnership villages in Zambia launched the Women Action Group (WAG) initiative, a program adapted from Shanta’s long-running Women’s Group Discussion model in Myanmar (active since 2010). Shanta’s Global Program Manager, Khai, first trained our Zambian staff in May 2025, who then equipped 16 local women leaders to begin facilitating the program. The response was [...] 
From Doubt to Confidence: U Bau’s Journey with School Accounting When Kan Lone village set out to build a new school, excitement was tangible, but so was the pressure of managing the project’s finances. For U Bau, a 53-year-old farmer of pigeon peas, rice, and groundnuts, the role of treasurer felt overwhelming at first. “I [...] 
Team Member Spotlight Lamba Fikoloma, M & E Officer with People’s Action Forum Meet Lamba! He joined Shanta/PAF earlier in 2025 as our Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. He works closely with Khai, Shanta’s Global Program Manager, as well as Janet, Zambia’s Program Manager, to ensure proper tracking, assessment, and evaluation of programs in Zambia. We [...] 
At Shanta Village Partners, we believe the most lasting change comes from within the community itself. That’s why our work is shaped by six guiding principles that center dignity, local leadership, and long-term impact. Community-Led Development We don’t prescribe solutions, we partner with villages to realize their vision. Community members lead every step of the [...] 
In May 2015, the village of Kaung Khae began a transformative journey in partnership with Shanta Foundation (now Shanta Village Partners). Nestled high in the mountains, Kaung Khae is accessible only by a narrow, steep road, painstakingly built by the villagers themselves over several years using only hand tools. At the time, it was among [...] 
Maung Dein village, situated in Pin Laung Township, has 47 households and a total population of 223. The villagers primarily farm corn. The village’s topography is encircled by sloping, barren land that is difficult to work. Farmers depend entirely on manual, hand labor to prepare the land and to distribute seeds and fertilizers. As this [...] 
Rosa in her garden The community bank has been a game changer for Rosa Konye in Mpasu village in the southern Province of Zambia. 64-year-old Rosa has relied on gardening as her main source of income for the past 30 years. During those 30 years, the scope of her gardening was limited, and she struggled [...]