Belmond Myanmar Foundation

We established the Belmond Health Clinic in 2011. Drawing inspiration from the individual efforts of our ship’s resident doctor, Dr Hla Tun, our aim was to attend to the medical needs of the local people on a greater scale. Soon patients began to arrive from across the country travelling for miles on foot to reach the clinic.

Led by Dr Tun our growing medical team now consists of 17 members, including a cook to provide welcome meals for patients and weary arrivals. With the invaluable support of our guests we can now provide innovative facilities, and a nearby monastery offers overnight accommodation to our patients in need. Guest’s donations from across the globe have helped make this happen, and involvement with the community keeps our clinic going strong.

X-Ray, ultrasound and theatre equipment help us to make numerous diagnoses. Free spectacles for the elderly are made possible by donating your pre-loved glasses. Dentistry, ophthalmology and physiotherapy facilities allow us to treat a range of conditions. Asthma medicines, blood tests and eye operations are just some of the many services we provide.

Our very first build was a nursery school in Shwe Kyet Yet—the port town base of Belmond Road to Mandalay. Twenty years on, we’ve built many more schools throughout the region and your donations continue to fund teachers’ salaries, books and computers.

We also support local families by providing scholarships for children. Many have already gone on to attend university and achieve career success, some have even joined us as staff aboard our ship. Education is key to helping a community support the next generation, and we see many teachers return to their roots to educate local children. We aim to expand our school projects in this region.

Young children who have lost parents and caregivers can find sanctuary in orphanages across Myanmar. However, many of these homes struggle to cope with the demand and rely heavily on donations to provide basic care. Our foundation contributes clothes, schoolbooks, food and medical aid, enabling orphanages to offer better care to those most in need.