Golden House provides accommodation and boarding for PDO students in need. Students in Golden House all came from low-income family background, divorced parents, or other difficult family situations. Many students are orphans. Golden House boarders are between 5-16 years old. They attend classes at PDO, and receive free housing, daily meals, health care, and other daily life necessities.
Understanding the difficulties Golden House students have endured in their early life, we have well-trained and dedicated staff to develop enriching after-school programs and to cater to the students’ special needs.
PDO Principal, Ven Nayaka, started Golden House in June 2008 to care for 22 boys whose villages had been devastated by Cyclone Nargis. Between 2008-2010, Golden House continued to accept students from cyclone-affected regions. Over the years, Golden House expanded to accept and house as many students in need as possible.
In the 2019-2020 school year, there are 399 students living in Golden House – 335 girls and 64 boys. Our students in Golden House comes from all regions in Myanmar. They represent 11 ethnic groups in the country. A majority come from Shan State.
Currently, we have 3 buildings for female students and 1 building for the male students. We are generously supported by World Child Care (WCC) for the students’ dormitories, stationery, school uniforms, bedding and toiletries.
Most students at Golden House have suffered some stress, trauma or difficulties before coming to PDO. As such, our staff takes special care of the students’ physical and mental health.
Golden House staff organizes the students’ daily schedules outside of class time. All students participate in daily cleaning and housekeeping, as well as taking care of a rooftop community garden. Such community activities aim to teach students to care for those around them, as well as to take responsibility for their community.
At Golden House, students can also participate in regular sport programs, as well as drawing and painting activities. Weekly and monthly, special talks on personal development, or field trips are organized. On weekend, female students can participate in the Colorful Girls Program. This program focuses on empowering young girls by teaching them personal development skills and improving their self-confidence.
Golden House has 14 full-time staff members taking care of the students, led by Daw Yi Yi Mon.
Daw Yi Yi Mon has led Golden House’s staff since 2008. She started working at Phaung Daw Oo in 2005 as a admin staff. She had a Master’s Degree in Physics from Mandalay University in 2007. An experienced care giver, Daw Yi Yi Mon had finished training in child development and psychology with various local and international organizations.