THE Htoo Foundation is planning to support education, health and environmental conser-vation activities at Putao in Kachin State with the cooperation of local authorities and residents.
The foundation plans initially to promote conservation awareness among villages to help them maintain the Mular Shidee National Wildlife Park near Putao, said the foundation’s project director, U Ye Min Oo.
He said the Ministry of Forestry had granted the foundation permission to carry out conservation activities in the area.
U Ye Min Oo said the foundation had conducted a survey of villagers in the area to determine how they could contribute to conservation in the park and also to gather information about their education and living standards.
The survey had resulted in the decision to promote education and healthcare activities in the area from June, he said.
U Ye Min Oo said the foundation would try to help increase the matriculation pass rate among students in the area by providing schools with textbooks and arranging for them to receive tuition from university graduates.
Under moves to strengthen healthcare in the area, the Htoo Foundation plans to sponsor the cost of employing two doctors and three nurses from Yangon at the 16-bed Mular Shidee Hospital.
The medical team will be rotated every two months, U Ye Min Oo said.
He said the foundation would also arrange seminars to increase awareness among the area’s villagers about healthcare, with the first to focus on HIV/AIDS.
The Htoo Foundation is also planning to establish a butterfly garden in Putao by the end of the year, said U Ye Min Oo.
He said the garden, which will be 1 acre in size, will include an area with living butterflies as well as an exhibition room with mounted specimens.
“Many of the butterflies will be collected in the surrounding region. We will also plant colourful flowers in the butterfly garden,” he said. “We plan to start at the end of rainy season this year.”
U Ye Min Oo said the garden will be established in consultation with botanical and butterfly specialists.
