Burne proudly shows off a basket of freshly picked mushrooms, thanks to help from OBI.

YANGON, Myanmar – Burne enjoys cooking his homegrown mushrooms. But those simple white and brown fungi are more than just something good to eat – they’re the livelihood that sustains him, his wife and the 15 orphans that make up their family.

Before Cyclone Nargis ravaged southern Myanmar last May, Burne ran a small mushroom business. An orphan himself, he was using his profit to care for as many orphan children as possible.

“He provided education and food for orphans and children coming from poor families,” said Kumar Periasamy, Operation Blessing’s director for international operations and programs.

Burne and his wife rented a house where they took care of their 15 children until one day, his landlord asked the family to move because he needed the house for his own relatives.

With nowhere to live, Burne found a small plot of land and built a temporary shelter. That’s when Cyclone Nargis hit and destroyed his business, left his family homeless and washed away all of their material possessions.

Burne and his wife currently care for 15 orphans.

His desperation did not last long, however, as Operation Blessing quickly responded to his family’s needs, providing the seed money to help feed his family and start a mushroom-growing project.

Immediately Burne was able to jump-start his business, building a small shelter for growing mushrooms and purchasing supplies. He worked hard and, within six months, made a profit.

Now, his mushroom business provides food, education, health care and home maintenance for Burne and his “growing” family. In a few months, he hopes to yield a profit of $500, enough to support 30 children.

When Periasamy recently visited Burne, the children showed off their new bunk beds, books and school bags, all made possible because of Operation Blessing. Burne also proudly displayed piles and piles of fresh, newly picked mushrooms.

“Today you will have lunch with us and we will cook this mushroom,” Burne said. “We are so thankful to Operation Blessing in providing the money. You have made a difference in the children’s lives and mine. Thank you.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.

 

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