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Dear Supporter,
February 2019
I am pleased to be writing to you with news about the work you, and many others like you, are helping to support in Myanmar – including recent news about Lay Lee, one of the grandparents whose progress you have been following. Over the last few years we have helped set up more than 130 Older People’s Self-Help Groups across Myanmar. They help older women and men to access pensions and healthcare, decide together to prioritise what they need most, and make sure older people’s voices are heard by local decision-makers. This year, Age International is using some of the donations given through the Sponsor a Grandparent scheme to support five newly formed Older People’s Self-Help Groups in five villages in Myanmar. The older people in the groups were asked what they wanted to spend the money on. They decided to provide very low interest loans to some of their members who needed financial help. In this way, once they are paid back, other loans can be made available to help other older people in the village. Some of the older people who have taken out the loans are using them to invest in small shops so they can earn an income and to pay back the loan. This income means they can contribute to the family budget so they feel more useful and are given more respect. The difference these loans make is obvious when you meet people like Lay Lee and Myint.
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