The (long) Back Story - but please read - it's interesting!

I was a rocket scientist (yes true) for 15 years - Designing equipment for weather, TV and scientific satellite projects, working for Marconi, STL, Alcatel space in the UK and mainland Europe. Here I am at Alcatel Space in Belgium testing out parts for Envisat-1 scientific satellite :)

When mobile phones became a 'thing' in the late 1990's I started working on my own, writing software for SMS text messaging systems. I was good at it and started work for a UK household name, based in a cold and damp and unheated basement office in Regent's Park.

Here I am in that office, wearing a woolly shirt and jacket, and trying to keep warm...

I contracted Aspergillosis (fungal spores) in that office environment, and that led to severe pneumonia which damaged my lungs, resulting in life-long Bronchiectasis illness.

My doctor recommended relocating to a hotter climate, and in 2003 I did this, moving to south-east Asia, and that climate has certainly helped my lung health. As in this photo, I also spent 8 years working as a volunteer police officer in Thailand - I studied for an MA in Thai.

In 2012, after living in Thailand for 9 years, I got a job in Myanmar as an English teacher. I'm no English teacher! (I guess I'm OK to teach Science). But it's extremely difficult to recruit foreign teachers to come and work in Myanmar. It's classified as a hardship location, with daily electricity power cuts, minimal health service and minimal educational service. It's been like that for years..... So it's a challenge - and I like challenges......

I found myself teaching Burmese kindergarten kids at my ripe old age of 53 years lol! It was well-paid, fun and the kids took to me like ducks to water, ("Hey, look at that crazy old teacher"). What's not to like? These are some of my grade 2 students at the Yangon fun fair in 2012 - they must all be about 20 years old now!

At the weekend, I went exploring in Yangon. I went over the river to Dala Township, a place that locals warned me was dangerous. So of course I went.

The township was recovering from recent cyclone damage. It was a truly pitiful sight. I had encountered poverty in north Thailand and Laos, but nothing as bad as I saw in Dala. Bamboo huts flooded with muddy water.

But through all this, the local Burmese - kids and adults - stood knee deep in this water and smiled at me and waved and said 'Mingalaba' (hello)

I was totally moved by this scene. I have no religion nor political persuasion. But there and then, I promised 'my god' that I would do whatever I could for the rest of my life to help the poor kids in Myanmar. I started to teach English at the weekend in the Dala Monastery - here are some of my enthusiastic young students in 2012.

I established my small, unregistered charity called 'Teacher Simon'. (Well, like Hertz and Watt and Richter etc, you don't give your invention or discovery or institution the name of someone else - you give it your name!). I taught at international schools during the week, and worked for free on my educational charity. This wasn't just teaching English at an orphanage. That helps the kids in that orphanage, but benefits no-one else. Instead, and thanks to the recent roll-out of mobile phone networks, I worked on creating free mobile phone apps that local teachers could use to help them teach good English to their young students. This app is managed by a software company in Pakistan, and they ensure that it's always available on Android and iPhones, and adhere to Google and iPhone policies etc,

I designed and printed English vocabulary posters, linked to my mobile app service, and physically visited many schools and orphanages to donate not only these posters, but also school text books that the educational institution had specifically requested. Here is an example of some of my vocabulary posters, with each code number linked to my app to listen to the correct pronunciation of that word, (spoken of course by me in my Received Pronunciation accent!)

Before the start of my weekday (paid) lessons in Yangon, I would teach English to 'monk-teachers', since they would then pass on that knowledge to the many novice monks in their care.

I travelled on my trusty motorbike through some wonderful regions, especially in Shan and Rakhine States.

Here are photos from Mandalay (the girls' orphanage), Kalaw (another girls' orphanage in the beautiful Shan Hills, Naypyitaw (the very large Sama orphanage with more than 1,000 kids), Inle Lake (orphanages for boys and also ethic Pao-Oo kids), and Taungyyi (home for mentally and physically disabled young and adults). I personally visited and donated at these places (and many more).

In other words, I don't 'throw mud at the wall and hope some sticks'. I don't have that sort of money. My money nowadays comes from my UK state pension and an online teaching income. Maintaining my mobile apps and website also costs money.

So where am I at in 2026? I'm going on 67 years old, with a bad leg, bad BPH, dicky eyesight and still of course have my bad lungs! But you will still find me either physically in Myanmar, (when the military government lets me in), or working from my cheap condo ($100/month rent!) in neighbouring Cambodia for the benefit of the Myanmar students.Here's a recent photo showing my mobile 'Teacher Simon' app

There are millions of Myanmar kids who need an education. Knowledge of English will help them (when they are older), to get a job in the Hospitality and Tourism sector, generating a salary to help them and their families. Perhaps they can go overseas to study. It all needs knowledge of English and those students know this 110%! They are the most studious students in the world.

Can you help me to do my work? Yes, and it doesn't cost much to help. 3 pounds buys a locally-printed bilingual (English/Burmese) science text book that hugely helps high school students to understand their science book (which is only produced in English language). Less than 8 quid enables me to print a set of 20 different colour A3 vocabulary posters for a school or orphanage.

You can donate using Paypal (simonluttrell@yahoo.com), or pay directly into my Wise bank account. This QR code will allow you to pay into my Wise bank account (98245493/23-14-70). Any amount is gratefully received.

I use no donations for 'admin' costs. I pay for my travel and hotel costs in Myanmar from my UK pension. If you donate 5 quid to me, then 5 quid is used to benefit the students (text books, posters etc).

Thanks - Simon .