The Phase 4 of solar power installation to the people living in the EAO (Ethnic Armed Organizations) areas started in Sep.,2019 and ended Nov.2020.

Initially, it was planned to install 7,326 solar systems into village houses, but, due to a successful bidding process we could increase the installation by another 1,729 systems (grand total of 8,605).

There happened many difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic also spread in Myanmar and forced us to extend our ending target by 3 months.

Just when we were going to start importing solar equipment from China, COVID-19 exploded in China and suspended the production of the equipment for more than a month.

The equipment were delivered to Myanmar in Mar. when the COVID-19 broke out also in Myanmar and prevented free movements of installation technicians in the countryside and held the works for another one month.

Now that the Phase 4 is completed, BHN has started the next project of Phase 5.

The targets of Phase 5 are;

１．Supply much needed solar electricity into 6,590 households in the EAO areas (4,572 in Kayin and 2,018 in Mon states).

２．To equip computer teaching systems into 9 higher grades schools in Kayin state.

The bidding procedures for Phase 5 started in both of the states, however, on Feb. 01, a Coup occurred in Myanmar and BHN had to suspend nearly all the works.

However, a hope was that we have good cooperative relations with the concerned parties; Union Government led by NLD(National League for Democracy) party, Armed Forces & EAOs, and they were all positively thinking to proceed our project.

With such background, after a few months later, both NMSP(EAO in the Mon State) and the Mon State Government induced us to re-start the project in the NMSP villages.

Hence, after the Myanmar New Year Holidays in late Apr. BHN conducted thorough security check-ups among all the team members and started the visits to the villages in the NMSP areas.

In parallel to the NMSP areas, BHN also received requests from KNU group brigades to start the computer system installation works as, they said, their areas are now safe to move to the schools.

Although the visits to all the EAO villages in Kayin State may take some more time to confirm the safety, the team members of BHN in Myanmar are mow starting the work at full steam.

Hirofumi Aizawa  Project Manager