With ABWM glasses to Pa Tawn Kung Village, Chin State

Today we hoped to have good news of Saya Htay’s mother and to visit three villages to give away the glasses. Unfortunately the news was not good and they were all returning to the village from Mandalay as nothing could be done.

We set off in a sombre mood to give away the glasses.

We were advised that Pa Tawn Kung was a poor village and so it turned out to be, but we were surprised that although water was relatively nearby, they relied on occasional trucks to deliver it. Win San suggested the Headman should organize his villagers to drill holes to get water!

Pa Tawn Kung is a village of 95 houses and 200 people. Some of the women were weavers, making longyis which is the shorthand saying for both male and female ‘sarongs’ and some wove tamein which are the women’s longyis. The majority of both men and women are farmers cultivating rice, beans and sesame. There were a few buffalo hanging around, some bullocks pulling carts, chickens doing what chickens do and pigs doing likewise. We noticed under the house two six foot high by about five foot in diameter bamboo and dried mud containers. They turned out to be holding rice. So that gave us an idea of how much they must produce.

At Pa Tawn Kung we gave away glasses kindly donated by ABWM. Thank you to you all from the villagers (and us of course) and special thanks to Cynthia who makes little pouches for the glasses. We needed lots of these today as, wonderfully, some of the ‘snappy’ boxes contained two or even three pairs of glasses! Therefore one or two pairs needed a pouch. Win San, on my behalf, took all the photos today, but in the melee that ensues at all these wonderful give-aways, it is not possible for me to match photos with donors. However, I know he did take one or two or three ladies holding up their pouches for you to see, Cynthia.

We sat in the shade under the house. Yes, even here in the mountains it is hot. I sat on a chair (luxury) with the person who was trying on the glasses beside me. Win San sat opposite me and we did a double act, one taking the glasses out of their cases, polishing them, giving it to the other who gave it to the ‘client’! I then recorded all names, ages and occupations with which I will not bore you but we want to know if we can discover any trends!

We gave away nine or ten pairs of glasses at Pa Tawn Kung because only a few people came to try on glasses. The following two villages were larger and villagers were rounded up by other villagers to come and meet us!