Myanmar Ground Report: Lighting Up 1,200 Homes

(This article is written by our Founder, Mario Singh who shares some on-the-ground highlights from our recent trip to Myanmar earlier this month).

This was our first overseas trip and we decided to bring our kids Chantelle and Elliot along as well so that they could participate in our “Let There Be Light” initiative. For this round, we raised enough funds to provide 1,200 solar lamps to underprivileged families. 

A big shout-out to our donors who made it all happen!

Our schedule was pretty tight over the 4 days we were there. Besides the distribution of solar lamps, we made visits to Grace Home orphanage, Our Daily Bread and Bible Society of Myanmar. 

Before we landed in Yangon, we were already receiving pictures of the wonderful kids in Grace Home who were busy packing the solar lamps with a booklet, “A Story of Hope.” They are our heroes!

According to the World Bank, Myanmar’s power sector has been severely affected by the ongoing political turmoil. The power sector has been spiralling downward since 2021 with prolonged electricity blackouts throughout the country. Electricity generation has been declining, resulting in a widening power supply–demand gap.

The repercussions of damaged power infrastructure due to conflict have impacted the stability of the whole transmission system. Major cities, including Yangon, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw, are facing power outages while industrial zones across the country are bracing for crippling power cuts and surging fuel prices.

When we were there from 2nd to 5th November, two things immediately stood out: the heat wave…. with temperatures reaching over 35 degrees and the power cuts which lasted for 4 hours everyday, from 1pm to 5pm.

Our heartfelt gratitude to the community and village leaders who were instrumental in helping out with the logistics and ensuring our safety during the distribution.

It wasn’t easy for our kids who had to brave the heat and the walking as we distributed a few hundred solar lamps. Although I told them to think of the bigger picture of helping others, I felt the message didn’t really sink in, until another incident happened.

The next day, we visited an orphanage called Grace Home. Shalyn and Chantelle were giving out soft toys while my son Elliot was in charge of giving out chocolates. Here’s the part that AMAZED me:

When Elliot had distributed 2 chocolates each to every kid, there were still many chocolates left. As he wanted to give out the rest randomly, I expected the kids to rush to grab them. Like normal Singaporean kids. Instead, NONE of them moved.

None.

They were concerned for their fellow friends. Elliot had to move towards the group and put the extra chocolates in their hands. They would not have taken them otherwise. Towards the end of our time there, the kids blessed us by singing 3 lovely songs. 

Some final takeaways from this memorable and meaningful trip not just for the Soulrich team, but for our family as well:

→ Think of others as a way of life: The kids at the orphanage exhibited gentleness, kindness and patience with one another. And they were able to do that because they were thinking about their friends first. It’s been said that those who have the least tend to share the most. This sentence came alive for me at the orphanage. 

→ Thoughtfulness is contagious: My kids automatically became kinder, gentler and more patient throughout the day because they experienced it first-hand.

→ Love is patient, love is kind: The Bible talks about this. In fact, almost all religions of the world exhort this Golden Rule – to do unto others what you would have them do unto you. It is such a simple, yet powerful reminder for everyday living.

On one level, I sometimes come away from such trips thinking we are helping others. This is true in some sense. At a deeper level, I realise it is God, through others, who is helping to change us instead.

What is the ongoing catalyst for serving others?

It must only be love.

This is because any other motivation is simply unsustainable.

If serving others is rooted in our own-self, the cancer of pride and self-righteousness will set in on the one hand (in the form of “Look at me and what I am doing”), while the disease of shame and guilt will fester on the other hand (“Don’t look at me, I am not doing as much as I would like to”).