Students from Chekinda Rama Monastery in Hmawbi pose for a photograph during a trip to Singapore last month.

THIRTY children from the Chekinda Rama Monastery in Hmawbi township, Yangon Division, broadened their outlooks by travelling to Singapore last month on a trip organised and funded by the Venerable Ashin Chekinda.

The children, between 9 and 14 years of age, were chosen from among thousands of students who have taken basic meditation or Buddhist literature courses at the monastery run by the Venerable Ashin Chekinda, who is also a professor at the International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University.

“The second criteria was that they had to be children of my most devoted followers,” the Venerable Ashin Chekinda told The Myanmar Times.

“This is the first time I organised an overseas trip for children,” he said. “My purpose was to help them keep up with what is happening in the world, to allow them to see how the world is a global village and to boost their sense of self-confidence.”

“It was a fruitful trip for the children because it helped contribute to their mental development, maturity and self-confidence,” he said.

The children were supervised on the May 1 to 4 trip by five teachers from the monastery, accompanied by the Venerable Ashin Chekinda. The trip included visits to well-known tourist destinations such as Sentosa Island, and the children also practiced their English skills every night.

The Venerable Ashin Chekinda has held meditation and Buddhist literature courses for children since 1998. The courses are offered three or four times a year, mostly during school holidays, for students from kindergarten to the university level.