REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1170236

LOTUS CHILDREN'S EDUCATION TRUST -LCET

                                                        Fieldwork Report 2025–26

Soon after my arrival at the Lotus Children’s Home (LCH) on 26 January 2026, I commenced work on the remaining sections of the Pali College and Library Project, which was launched a few years ago with the generous support of Dr Kyaw Myint Oo and Firefly Mission.

The outstanding works included tiling on the second floor, a small portion of plastering on the ground floor, and the entire construction work of the third floor. The full concreting of the third-floor roof had already been completed las year.

Completion of Ground and Second Floor:
Compared to the third-floor construction, the remaining works on the ground and second floors were relatively minor. These consisted mainly of:
1.   a small section of plastering on the ground floor, and
2.   tiling works on the second floor.
I am pleased to report that these works were successfully completed during this visit at a total cost of approximately £3,000.00.

Third Floor Remaining Construction:
Significant work remains on the third floor, including:
1.  room partitioning and wall construction,
2.  plastering and flooring,
3.  electrical installation,
4.  windows with glass and iron bars,
5.  doors, and other essential fittings.

Last year, Dr Kyaw Myint Oo generously donated £5,000 toward this phase. This contribution will enable us to complete the internal wall partitions (three rooms), plastering, flooring, and possibly doors. However, additional funds will be required to cover:
1.  electrical appliances and wiring,
2.  ceiling fans,
3.  window iron bars and glass fitting,
4.  painting, and
5.  furniture.
We plan to begin this phase of work during the 2026 monsoon season.

Future- Plan: Lotus Flower Pagoda
There is also a plan to construct a Lotus Flower Pagoda on the rooftop once the third-floor construction is completed. Although I initially considered commencing some of this work during the 2026 visit, further assessment of LCH revealed several other issues that were more urgent and critical. Therefore, this project has been postponed to the coming months or the year 2027, allowing us to prioritise immediate needs.

Urgent Need: Girls’ Hostel Living Conditions
One of the most urgent concerns identified during this visit was the unhealthy and overcrowded living conditions in the girls’ hostel. Currently, there are two small dormitory buildings, each with two floors. Due to insufficient space, girls are living in highly congested and overlapping conditions.

In general, girls require more personal space to store their clothing and belongings, but the current facilities are inadequate. In addition, there are three female teachers responsible for supervising the girls. Only one teacher has a private room, while the other two live among the students. These two teachers have been requesting private accommodation for several years.

Decision to Construct a New Girls’ Hostel:
After discussion with our female teachers and staff, it was unanimously agreed that a new girls’ hostel should be constructed, with separate rooms on the upper floor for female teachers and women monastic (novices) quarter.

Unfortunately, no suitable land is available around the existing girls’ hostel, and it would not be appropriate to integrate this facility within the boys’ residential area. As a result, we decided to build on the slope hill adjacent to the current girls’ hostel.

Due to financial limitations, our initial plan was to construct accommodation specifically for women teachers. I therefore began work by erecting four foundation pillars to support two small rooms on the lower section of the slope hill.

Support from Firefly Mission:
I shared this urgent need with our long-standing supporter, Firefly Mission, and their response was remarkably positive. They generously contributed approximately £11,000 towards the foundation and structural support.
However, to complete the project, an estimated £20,000 or more will be required, depending on fluctuations in material prices.

Structural Challenges:
This estimated cost covers skeleton construction only. The building is designed to be 52 square feet and consist of three storeys. Due to the slope-hill location, the ground floor cannot be utilised for living or storage purposes, unlike a structure built on flat land.
As the building rises along the slope, the pillars extend upward toward the hilltop, creating a structure similar to a staircase ascending to the top floor. This design presents additional engineering challenges and construction costs.
When I returned to the UK in early April 2026, approximately 60% of the foundation pillars for the new female accommodation building had already been erected. This included brick walls and flooring for the first eight pillars, which together form the first floor. A further eight pillars are still required to complete the foundation structure.
The remaining work will be overseen by the officers and committee members of LCH. Qualified engineers will inspect the construction periodically, and I will continue to monitor the progress daily from the UK.

Carpark and Drainage:
In addition to the expenditure on the female accommodation building, further work is required on the ground floor of the Pali College. When constructing the storerooms on this floor, an open central space was intentionally left for a car parking area. However, this cannot be fully utilised until a proper drainage system is completed.
A suitable drainage system requires a solid and reinforced access road over the drain, strong enough to allow a fully loaded vehicle to pass safely into the storeroom area. A strong drain has now been constructed around the building, designed to bear the weight of a heavily loaded vehicle.
At present, due to the absence of a completed parking and access area, children are required to manually carry groceries, including rice and potatoes, into the storerooms. Although we have a three-wheeler for emergency use, it is not suitable for marketing purposes, as it would be dangerously overloaded if used regularly.

Urgent Need for Transport:
Currently, food supplies must be purchased twice a week, mainly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Relying on three-wheeler vehicles is not a practical long-term solution. Our officers have therefore identified an urgent need to purchase a low-cost pickup truck for marketing and transportation purposes.

Due to financial constraints, we have not yet been able to purchase such a vehicle. However, the need is urgent not only for food transportation but also for:
1.  taking children to hospitals,
2.  attending outdoor educational programmes, and
3.  participating in compulsory government programmes involving regional schools.

At present, a pickup must be hired for each of these activities. Owning a vehicle would significantly reduce long-term costs and allow for multi-purpose use. With this intention in mind, a car parking area was created during this year. We hope to purchase a second-hand pickup truck in the coming years.

Renovation and Drainage Works:
Several additional works were completed during this visit. One major task was the renovation of the cooking house, along with the construction of a small drainage system on the northeastern side of the Lotus Children’s Home.
As the institute is surrounded by hills, each side requires an effective drainage system. Approximately 90% of the overall drainage, particularly in critical areas of the campus, was previously funded by Firefly Mission. The newly constructed drain, measuring approximately 30 feet, was funded internally this year.

Cooking House Renovation:
The cooking house was originally built in 2025, measuring 25 by 12 square feet. It is a semi-permanent structure with a tin roof supported by angle beams rather than a full concrete design.
Over time, smoke from firewood cooking significantly damaged the tin roofing and metal supports due to the lack of proper smoke outlets. The roofing and angle beams became darkened and corroded. During this visit, the structure was repaired and repainted to improve durability.
To address the root cause, a small, separate cooker house has now been constructed exclusively for firewood cooking. This allows smoke to exit freely without damaging the main cooking house.

Water Supply Challenges:
Before my return to the UK, rising temperatures caused existing water sources to begin drying up. Currently, there are three water sources in place:
1.  a deep tube-well donated by Firefly Mission in 2017,
2.  a mountain water channel donated by Ko Billy and Ma Khine Zar in 2019 and later renovated by Firefly Mission, and
3.  a water reservoir pond funded jointly by Firefly Mission and Dr Kyaw Myint Oo in 2024–25.
A water filtration and recycling system was installed last year to allow reuse of reservoir water. Despite these measures, the available water supply is insufficient to support approximately 300 residents for daily use.

Over time, the effectiveness of these water sources has declined. This is partly due to:
1.  excessive water extraction during summer months, and
2.  the growing impact of climate change.

The deep tube-well is gradually losing efficiency due to continuous pumping both day and night. The recycling system currently allows for the reuse of only about 20% of consumed water, and the reservoir pond dries quickly during hot periods.

In response to the worsening water shortage, we installed an additional deep tube-well, generously donated by our devotees and well-wishers in France. Unfortunately, this attempt did not yield the expected results. The tube was drilled to a depth of 560 feet, approximately 150 feet deeper than the tube-well previously donated by Firefly Mission. However, the extracted water is muddy and unsuitable for drinking, even for showering, and the water flow is extremely limited.

During extraction, a strong water flow lasts for about 30 minutes, after which it gradually weakens and completely stops within the next 20 minutes. The system then requires a rest period of two to three hours before water can be extracted again. This confirms that there is no strong underground water reservoir beneath the mountain.

We understand that the available water sources are most likely seasonal storage water accumulated during the monsoon or water trapped during geological formations millions of years ago. While unsuitable for consumption, this muddy water is now filtered and used only for bathing purposes. This situation clearly illustrates the severity of the water crisis faced by the institute, particularly during the summer months.

Educational and Training Activities:
During this visit, I was extremely busy not only with the infrastructure projects described above but also with educational and training responsibilities. At present, the Lotus Children’s Home accommodates:
1.  270 children,
2.  18 teachers,
3.  4 staff members, and
4.  19 monastic novices, supported by three monks.

As part of my annual responsibilities, I conducted training sessions for teachers, focusing on academic thinking, analytical writing, and scholastic development. In addition, I trained residential novices and monks in the Pāli language.
Each training programme emphasised the core principles of Lotus: rationality, cognitive suitability, academic discipline, and a strong foundation in compassionate conduct and ethical behaviour, with the aim of nurturing individuals committed to serving society and the wider world.

Summary of Works Completed:
In conclusion, during this visit we successfully completed the following works:
1.  plastering the remaining sections of the ground floor of the Pāli College and Library,
2.  completion of the car park area,
3.  construction of drainage along the northern side of the building,
4.  tiling of the entire second floor,
5.  installation of six bookcases,
6.  provision of fans, chairs, and tables for both Pāli and general classrooms, and
7.  construction of a 30-foot drainage system in the northeastern hill area.

As a result, the ground floor and second floor of the Pāli College and Library are now fully ready for use.

In addition, we successfully commenced the construction of a new girls’ hostel, designed to accommodate up to 60 female students, along with two female teachers and five female novices. Although this building is urgently needed, it is unlikely to be usable before the coming monsoon. However, we are confident that the concrete roofing of the first section can be completed before the monsoon begins.

Significant work still remains, including:
1.  tiling of staircases and verandas on the second floor,
2.  continuation of construction on the new girls’ hostel, and
3.  completion of the third floor of the Pāli College.
These works will be continued by the dedicated team at the Lotus Children’s Home. All related documents, financial records, and work reports will be collected, scrutinised, and verified by the trustee.The works completed during this visit are summarised in the diagram below:

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