Crisis Relief to People in Myanmar

Thank you for your incredble generosity in support of this project. Please find below the unedited report from our local partner working in Myanmar that is the recipient of this project's funds.

_____

We are humbled by how many people have supported this cause so far. It says a lot about how many of you care and want to see the people of Myanmar get their lives back on track. THANK YOU! With your contributions, we have delivered support to help at least a five-hundred families across the country, especially in rural communities. This past year, despite the weight of hardship and tragedy, in carrying out this crisis outreach work, we have had the opportunity to affirm the depth of capacity for joy, creativity, strength, and resilience across villages and towns in the country. 

We are working to ensure the funds raised are going where they are needed most—to children losing sight of their dreams, to young adults feeling pressured to find unskilled day jobs or get married, or to parents struggling to cover the cost of rice and cooking oil. More than 200,000 people have been displaced since the military coup in February 2021, having fled their homes, either by force or by fear. 

Engaged groups on the ground are finding that adolescent girls in rural villages are particularly impacted by the crises. As girls—but also as children, often coming from poor or minority ethnic and religious backgrounds— girls are multiply-burdened, and rapidly taking on very real adult responsibilities which often puts them at higher risk and limits their future opportunities.

Funds are reaching people on the ground as:

• emergency supplies (e.g. food, health and hygiene materials, phone credit, clothes, etc.)
• cash for transportation and resettling for those who have had to flee from their homes
• direct support to women farmers 
• critical support for girls and women experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect
• social and creative learning opportunities for girls

Bring Needed Foundational Relief

Continued support remains present and urgent. Girls and women are still experiencing violence, displacement, and a narrowing of opportunities. Take, for instance, 13-year-old Thidar from Mandalay, who explained her recent train of thought:

“I want to go back to school. It has been so long, maybe two years, but I miss it so much.  I felt free when I was a student.  We are getting older and some girls are getting married. This makes me sad…  When I think about the virus and other things, I no longer want to think about my future. I’m not sure why I have goals anymore since we can’t go to school.” 

Young people are losing hope and losing sight of their futures. Yet, they continue holding a strong line of resistance against the military dictatorship, while getting creative with new methods to continue learning and contributing to their households and communities. Some girls have formed their own study groups or are teaching lessons to younger children. Many are working in their parents’ farms and businesses to keep busy and to contribute to the family finances. Others, still, have taken up an interest in politics, wanting to be part of building a freer and more peaceful nation.

Girls and young women want to act. They recognize the importance of a strong social network. Of caring for the wellbeing of those around them.  Of fighting for what they believe in.  Your support will enable girls to do all this and to determine their own futures.

Please consider making another donation today, or, even, on a monthly basis. It matters!

____

We will be back in your inbox in 2022 with more updates about this critical work.

With immense gratitude,
The GlobalGiving Team