Gifts of Sight

Today is the start of the Water Festival to swoosh in the New Year in Myanmar. We will probably get drenched as we get into the car and must then drive with all windows tightly closed!

We are going to Bagan, about a five hour drive, so that Sebastian can film a sunset and then sunrise the next morning.

We will arrive in Nyaung Pin Zauk by the afternoon and then our work really begins.

Sebastian wants to make a film of about five people who used to do a job, then their eyes became bad so they could no longer do it. Then along came Gifts of Sight (the name of the project), the people could see again and could go back to their original job.

That is the Plan. I wonder whether there will be a Plan B or even a Plan C. One lady would have been perfect as she started working as a weaver, had to give up because she couldn’t see, then we gave her glasses. But she didn’t go back to weaving! She found another job. Of course we are very glad for her but not for our film!

Below are some of the people who have received glasses. 

The lady in the first photo does not own any shoes. I will rectify that, because it is the hot season which makes very painful walking. Her house is behind her and there is nothing in it. She is called a worker because she owns no land in the village. To feed herself she has to take any job that other villagers might give her. I am taking a sack of rice with us.