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Haven't you always wanted to know how rubber bands are made?

There are lots of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) around Mawlinyaing.

The sap is tapped into a coconut shell before being poured into vats and heated. Then color is added. Stanchions are dipped and coated with this latex. When that's dry the rubber is peeled off and run through a slicer machine - et voilà.

None of the equipment needed for this is very expensive but it would otherwise be beyond the means of these villagers were it not for micro-finance loans.

And my guess is the kids in this village aren't going to want to make rubber bands all their lives and they'll move on to bigger and better things - and that's great. But then who's going to make all the rubber bands?