Projects
“Design as a way of solving problems, not just making pretty things”
Within Arms Reach will be partnering up with “Myanmar Charity Group” to build a school for the children in “Rakhine” State in Burma (Myanmar).
The Existing Building:
The existing school provides educational services from K – 9th to the children in the village. Basic education primary school was built in 1962. After the 2010 flood the classrooms and furniture were heavily damaged. They need an immediate classroom space for 7, 8, and 9th graders for the upcoming year. They also lack space as they have all the different grades placed together and having only small none-sound proof partitions dividing between each area. The lack of space in the current building makes it very uncomfortable for children to learn and attend classes.
2011-2012 school year students’ list
| Sr. No. | Class | Male | Female | Total |
| 1. | KG | 97 | 85 | 182 |
| 2. | Grade 1 | 41 | 34 | 75 |
| 3. | Grade 2 | 26 | 28 | 54 |
| 4. | Grade 3 | 36 | 24 | 60 |
| 5. | Grade 4 | 20 | 21 | 41 |
| 6. | Grade 5 | 21 | 21 | 42 |
| 7. | Grade 6 | 20 | 15 | 35 |
| 8. | Grade 7 | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| 9. | Grade 8 | 17 | 15 | 32 |
| 10. | Grade 9 | 12 | 15 | 27 |
|
Total
|
303 | 266 | 569 |
The Project Location:
The school will be located in “Seik Tara Village” in northern Rakhine State of Burma/Myanmar. The occupation of the northern Rakhine State communities consist of a mix of farming, livestock rearing, fishing, off-farm activities and casual labor. The total population of this village is 2,900 people.
If you would like to support this project, please contact info@withinarmsreach.org for information. If you want to participate in our fundraiser event, please see our Education Fundraiser for more information.
Relief Trip: Cyclone Nargis 2008
The Birth Of Within Arms Reach: After a devastating Cyclone destroyed the country, we were able to helped the victims in Burma/MyanmarWe built homes, fed the children, distributed clothes, and medicine we received from "Giving Children Hope" organization
Relief Trip: Cyclone Nargis 2009
We returned to Burma for a second time in December 2008 - January 2009 to follow up with the homes we have built and to do new projects
Northern "Rakhine" School
Partnering with Myanmar Charity Group to build a school in “Seik Tara Village” in Northern Rakhine State of Burma/Myanmar. Knowing your client is one of the most important aspects of designing and building in a developing country. Within Arms Reach believes that the designs we produce should be environmentally and culturally native to our clients as well as appropriate for their communities. In order to accomplish this, we drew upon our personal experiences working in the Rhakhine State of Burma (Myanmar) and made sure to have open lines of communication with our clients throughout the whole design process. Moreover, because members of our team have traveled to Rakhine and Yangon, we believe that we have a thorough understanding of its climate and culture. We also understand that our view of Rakhine is seen through a Westernized perspective, so we made it a priority to ask the students and teachers of the school what they need in a classroom. Furthermore, we have also been in constant communication with our partner organization “Myanmar Charity Group” in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the needs to be met for the school design. The three main goals that we have collaboratively established are: (1) to create a classroom that inspires curious learners, (2) to utilize local materials and passive energy strategies in order to leave a small carbon footprint as possible, and (3) to implement and encourage safe building practices.
