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 had served as a village headman before,” he recalled. “But managing finances was complicated for me. I didn’t know how to record financial transactions properly. I used to jot things down randomly in any notebook I found. I couldn’t even organize them under proper headings.”
Without clear records, he worried about losing the trust of his neighbors. Questions like “How much money is left?” or “Can you show us the records?” filled him with anxiety.
That changed in 2025, when Shanta launched the school construction project and U Bau was invited to handle finances as part of the seven-member infrastructure committee. Though nervous, he accepted the challenge, and soon found himself learning skills he never imagined.
With training and support, he began keeping two separate ledgers, one for community funds and one for project funds. He tracked every expense in detail, from cement and bricks to timber purchases. He cross-checked records with other committee members. He built a system of accountability and transparency by keeping meticulous records.
The transformation was striking. U Bau went from avoiding questions from the community to confidently explaining, “Here is what came in today, and here is what we spent.” He managed more than MMK 50 million ($11,457) with clarity and precision.
Neighbors soon noticed. “U Bau is trustworthy with money. His records are clear and transparent. There’s no misuse. He’s the only one in the village who keeps such accurate records,” they said.
What began as doubt turned into a source of confidence and leadership, and pride! Today, U Bau is not only a reliable treasurer, he is also teaching others in the village how to keep financial records, strengthening trust and transparency for the future.
“I’ve gained confidence in myself,” he says. “I now understand that accounting is essential for community progress.”