Obed of New Heritage Orphanage shows off his catch…and his smile!

I’ve never had much interest in fishing, but at orphanages like New Heritage in Myanmar, having a pond for raising fish is a great blessing. Adding fish to their diets improves the children’s health, and selling the rest in the market helps the orphanage become more self-sufficient.

New Heritage Orphanage dug out a pond in their backyard and stocked it with fingerlings last year. Then they fed them each day and patiently waited for the day when the fish would be big enough to catch and sell in the market…and enjoy a great fish feast for themselves.

Harvest time finally came a couple weeks ago. The boys at New Heritage wasted no time ripping off their shirts, grabbing their nets, and jumping into the pond. They formed a line with their net, and walked back and forth across the pond until every fish was caught. This type of fishing seems like cheating to me…but you can sure tell that these kids enjoy harvesting the blessing from the Lord!

Elisabeth Walter
Director, Orphan’s Tear division

Mud and fish—what more could a boy ask for? These boys use a net to corral the fish toward one end, making it impossible for escape!

All the children of New Heritage Orphanage, showing off just a few of the unlucky fish