Beautifying Yangon, One Garden at a Time

Beautifying Yangon, One Garden at a Time

By Stuart Danker

Tucked between the 41st and 42nd streets of Yangon is the sixth Alley Garden in this bustling city. Yangon has seen rapid development over the recent years, but with progress comes the challenge of overpopulation and pollution – the effects of which the Alley Garden projects are looking to allay.

At first glance, these alleys look like any other connecting paths between streets, with swings and slides that serve as playgrounds for children. But until you learn the true stories and significance behind these spots, you’ll never appreciate the work that went into making each of these alleys a reality as well as the benefits they’ve served the community.

For a Cause

Spearheaded by Doh Eain, a social enterprise organisation, this project came about through the need for safe spaces for children to play as well as cleaner and more productive living spaces for the citizens living in these areas, especially residents who live directly next to these alleys. Most of these locations started out as decrepit alleys, where residents from nearby apartments would dump their rubbish right out of their backyards.

This is where Doh Eain came in, with their first Alley Garden project on 27th Street having been completed in July 2016. Ever since, the non-profit organisation has continued making alleys cleaner, safer and even turned them into a draw for visitors, effectively improving the lives of everyone in the area.

The exact alley I’m visiting is the one at 41st Street, a famous morning market street with peddlers selling everything from street food to clothing. It’s a fairly straightforward location reminiscent of most other open markets in Asia.

The different produce on offer make strolling through this street a colourful affair. Vegetables, street food and raw meat are splayed across stall tables indiscriminately. The smell of drying fish battles against that of fresh mangoes, both equally vying for my attention.

In the Alley

Alongside this little stretch of chaos lies the quiet of the Alley Garden, offering respite to travellers who’ve grown weary of the myriad of activities happening at the market.

The people at Doh Eain really know what they’re doing, as this place is unlike any other back alley I’ve seen. Instead of the untended pavements and clogged drains that I am used to seeing in alleys back at home, this one looks like a place I could spend all day sitting in with a good book and a cup of coffee. In fact, this alley looks more presentable than the city sidewalks back in my country!

Rubbish bins are spaced out along this alley – an important feature to educate everyone here about the proper disposal of rubbish. Seats and playground equipment add to the cosiness of it all. I can see where they were headed with this project. This looks like a much better spot to play compared to the busy streets and packed areas just a few steps out.

What’s great about this place is that it doubles up as an art gallery, and merely walking down the alley to appreciate the art is an attraction in itself. It can be said that this alley is the breeding ground for creativity in children too, as Australian artist Mark Prykaza has worked with the local children to come up with some of the mural designs.

Even though this place proves to be a draw for visitors like me, it’s obvious that the people who benefit the most from this project are the locals. Some demographics, such as local skateboarders and inline skaters, who didn’t have proper skateparks to hone their skills, have taken to these safe spots to do so.

Children, who can be seen frolicking about at the slides and mini jungle gym, are learning the value of cleanliness, disposing of their empty soda bottles into the rubbish bins. With these values being instilled into the hearts of young ones, who knows how far the ripple effects would go?

Each Alley Garden has its own theme, and it’ll do you well to visit each of the Alley Gardens throughout the city. However, if you only have time for one visit, do make your way to the 41st Street in the morning so that you can enjoy some delicious food and refreshments at the market before or after your visit.