Dear friends of Sacred Heart,
Sr. Rosaleen and Holly Holman from the Portsmouth Diocese, have alerted us to an urgent and heart wrenching cause that we’ve been called to support in regards to our friends in Burma / Myanmar and the children there in an orphanage.
Myanmar has been going through some extremely tough times in recent years, this year in particular, and there has been a collapse in the economy. As usual it is the vulnerable who suffer the most. There are many orphans in Myanmar and one in particular has been brought to our attention. Lhaovo orphanage was supported by local people but floods that devastated businesses and churches, fighting, and the Covid pandemic have led to their support totally drying up. By September 2021 these children will have literally no income. Their situation is not known by the wider world but was drawn to our attention through Holly Holman who has been the only foreigner helping them since 2010. She has partnered with Orphans Hope, a charity that helps orphans in Myanmar and provide oversight and accountability for Lhaovo Orphanage. We hope that financial support will come from within the U.K. as there is no one else to help them. We want to provide for these children and give them a future.
Lhaovo orphanage was founded by a pastor named Haw, when he retired from being the leader of a local city council. No one seemed to be helping the many orphans in the war torn area of Myanmar, with fighting between the two armies. This led to the state being largely cut off from the rest of Myanmar, with little infrastructure and some help from the Red Cross, but no other aid agencies helping the many displaced people due to the war.
“Flooding, fighting, the pandemic and the war have all led to their support drying up and they have alarmingly started to run out of food.”
Lhaovo orphanage has 100 children. They grow some of their own vegetables and fruit and have some dairy cows. Haw (their pastor and leader) was committed to preparing the children for life beyond the orphanage and seeking to pay for their education including university tuition so that they could have a bright future.
In the past, they had been primarily sponsored by local people, but through a series of events their support has stopped. Flooding, fighting, the pandemic and the war have all led to their support drying up and they have alarmingly started to run out of food. They desperately need our help!
“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
Matthew 5:42 (NIV)
Very sadly the leader there, the remarkable man called Haw has recently recently died after a battle with cancer and so few doctors – may he rest in peace. Haw’s son will now be taking over the leadership of the orphanage and needs your prayers for this huge responsibility.
How Can I Help?
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
Fund Raising: If you would like to help raise funds, we would be extremely happy to hear from you. Examples of help might be contacting your own friends, coming up with fund raising initiatives, helping to write to possible donors or spreading awareness through your church or other groups.
Book Keeping: If you have skills in book-keeping, perhaps you would be able to help us track of the (admittedly small) accounts?
Please Pray for Us
“I am the vine, you are the branches.”
John 15:1-8 (NIV)
Prayer is powerful. This may all seem impossible, yet nothing is impossible for our Lord. He is the vine after all, and we are the branches.
Please pray for the repose of the soul for Pastor Haw. Let perpetual light shine upon him and may he rest in peace.
For all the children, both at Lhaovo and the other orphanages in the area, to be safe – for angels to be a wall of protection around them and let them receive hope.
For people to give generously for the children – everything helps so much, but we also need people who would be willing to give regular / monthly amounts to provide for them.
How Can I Help Financially?
This orphanage is in a remote area, quite cut off from the rest of the country. All support which was local has dried up in the terrible situation the country has been going through. Holly has been their only supporter for some time now, but it is encouraging to see small amounts of people starting to support us from Sacred Heart in Hook and the wider diocese.
We need as many people as possible to donate for this great cause Monthly donations are ideal as they allow regular funding for the children’s food and wellbeing, but truly any donation is greatly appreciated and will help. You can donate through Epiphany Trust or directly to Orphan’s Hope.
Option 1. Donate through Epiphany’s Trust
We have been blessed to have connected with Bill Hampson O.B.E who is the Director of Epiphany Trust, a UK charity which focuses on helping young people who are often out of the public eye and struggle for support, the disadvantaged and the disabled. Ephiphany Trust will work directly with Orphans Hope to facilitate the transfer of the funds to ensure its safe arrival to Lavho Orphange. With Epiphany’ Trust’s support, we are able to utilise Gift Aid and use that additional donation to help increase the funds. You can donate through Epiphany Trust by:
Online Donation (please read)
Donate online through Epiphany Trust’s Portal – VERY IMPORTANT. Don’t forget to select “Lhaovo Orphanage, Burma“ in the donation category dropdown selection. This will ensure the donation gets to this specific orphanage and not the wider Epiphany Trust.
Bank Transfer
You can make a bank transfer direct to Epiphany Trust using the following details:
The Co-operative Bank
Account: Epiphany Trust
Account no: 65006735
Sort code: 08–90–86
Ref: Lhaovo
Gift Aid
If you’d like toBoost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate, please complete our simple form.
Option 2. Donate Through PayPal or the Orphan’s Hope Website
If you donate through Orphan’s Hope the amount you donate will be automatically converted to dollars, so there is no need to do anything and no extra charges.
Pay via Orphan’s Hope
Orphan’s Hope has been recognised by the U.S. government and Internal Revenue Service since the year 2000. For over 21 years, they have been dedicated to caring for the needs of orphans in the name of Jesus Christ. Currently, only UK cards are accepted.
Pay Orphan’s Hope via PayPal
173 million people use and trust PayPal to shop on millions of websites worldwide, in 202 countries and with 21 different currencies. They also support credit cards/direct debit etc.
How Can I Know the Money Reaches the Children?
Orphan’s Hope provide oversight and accountability to Lavho orphanage and all donations are carefully tracked and recorded. Holly has worked closely with the organisation “Orphan’s Hope” for 14 years and has seen first hand over the years the great work they are doing in Myanmar. Sacred Heart is now in direct contact with their president, also a passionate follower of Christ and has provided transparency of how the money is being spent.
If you have questions or would like reach out to Holly in regards to this appeal,
she can be contacted by emailing hollyholman@me.com. Alternatively, please reach out to Dan Kent on dan@sacredhearthook.org on how to get involved.
Thank you and God Bless!
