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Richard Humpheries (Black and White) Jason Miller Shwe Koako, Karen State Sylvia Murcfeld Photographs Jean de La Tour Richard Humphries _______________ Version Date June 2004 12/01/2005 Website: Designed, Built and written by Paul Keenan |
Name
Jelrelain
Age
80
Sex
Male
Religion Christian
Occupation
Forester (Previous) Place of Birth Beloh Village
Location
Umpium Mai
My name is Jelrelain I was born in 1922 I am 80
years old and I grew up in (Beloh) village. My father was a
primary school headmaster. I had 5 family members but one died. I also have five
children.
What are
differences in eduction there between the past and now?
Nowadays it seems that old people are not useful,
because the young people take jobs in Organizations (NGO's), also in religion I stay
here I work in church share the gospels. Now I can't do anything because I have
a disease.
How did you get money when you were young?
I worked for the Japanese forestry
department I worked as a secretary and become a forester. After that the English
came back so I left and I worked for Myaw Mya Mineral the leader's name was Thu Ka
Ra.
What traditions did you have about marriage and death?
When people died and they were Christian they would be kept in Church for one night and in the morning they were buried.
If someone would like to get married the pastor would perform the service
for them. After the wedding the pastor gave the wedding register.
Did you live with your parents when you married?
I was married on 31stDecember 1959 I stayed in P'sein
in Ko Tha Pue bible school with my family.
How many times have you traditionally celebrate Karen New
year?
At least seven times, the first time was
arranged at Ko Tha Pue bible school. And we raised the Karen flag and sang
Karen national songs. We prayed, talked about the Karen flag and ate rice. In
Karen New Year we had a good present-white rice, we say that that is a precious
present.
Did anyone try and encourage you when you were working?
When I was working nobody tried to encourage me.
The one who encourages me is only God. In this way many people wanted to kill
me, but I wasn’t afraid.
What do you think are the differences between education then
and now?
When we studied in Ko Tha Pue School we studied
Burmese language through standards one to five standard after that we stopped,
fifth standard to seventh we studied Karen language eighth to tenth Standard we
studied English language. At Primary school they studied the Bible for about one
hour. Now some schools don’t teach the bible in assembly before we go to
class. Our Karen people, God bless us Karen people, in Burma are the first
people go to England and study English language.
Do you have any encouragement or suggestions for preserving
our culture and traditions? All of our students shouldn’t be taught Burmese language we should teach Karen language. Karen language has been lost a lot. So we have to find and teach children Karen language. If people don’t have a language then they die. If you want to hurt people you must make them lose their language, but language isn’t easy to lose. You must try your best and your nation, culture, history will continue in the world.
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