BACKGROUND

David Darlington arrived in Burma in 1939 to work as an Anglican missionary in the Kachin State. He married a Kachin woman, Nhte Roi, and their 6 children were born and educated in Burma. In 1962, the Darlington family left Burma and settled in the UK. In 2004, members of the Darlington family and a few friends set up JEP as a charity to help all ethnic Kachins who wish to improve their education. 

Each year JEP holds fund-raising events to raise money to help those from poor families who cannot afford to pay for education and the sponsorship committee makes decision about which projects or individuals it is able to support for the following year.  

From 2004 to 2006 JEP sponsored forty students studying a two years English and Computer course at the Pan Kachin College, situated on the Burma-China border.

When this college had to close in 2006, JEP started to sponsor a Grade 9 Education Programme, helping students to gain matriculation, without which they are unable to get jobs or continue further studies. However, with the resumption of fighting between the Burmese Army and the local Kachins in 2011, this programme had to stop, but others continued.

Since 2006 JEP sponsored eight students to complete Business and Communication degrees, or similar diplomas outside Burma and to return home to put their skills into practice to the benefit of local communities.

In 2010 JEP gave a donation to a hostel for the poor and orphaned children in a very mountainous area to buy much needed school equipment and wet weather clothing for fifty children. 

In 2014 JEP worked closely with other NGOs to help set up two libraries in camps for internally displaced people [IDP] in northern Myanmar.

Since 2014 JEP has been helping pre-school nurseries, attended both by local villages and IDP children with much needed resources.

In 2015 JEP supported a number of tutorial groups for students studying for their matriculation exams.

Since 2016 JEP has given opportunity to talented youth leaders to develop knowledge and skills and new experiences as part of capacity building.  JEP has also given to an orphanage to help fund both the children’s physical and educational needs.

Between 2016 to 2019, JEP also gave funds and  promoted workshops to groups of women in Myitkyina to enable them to set up livelihood activities, such as handicraft, making sweets, crisps and jams. By selling their products, they could earn a small income so they could better support their children and send them to school.