Protect education in Myanmar

At United World Schools, children come first. In the midst of political unrest and the spread of Covid-19, we remain laser-focused on giving children from remote, marginalised communities in Myanmar access to a life-changing education. 

Although schools in Myanmar have been closed for an entire year, we are continuing to support 4,000 children through our innovative distance education programmes. 

You can help a child in Myanmar get the education they deserve.

Donate now

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What is happening in Myanmar?

“It’s like a double burden for the children; we’re still battling with Covid-19 and now we’re navigating the new political environment.” - Dr Kay Khaing Win, UWS Myanmar Country Director

Schools in Myanmar have been closed for an entire calendar year due to Covid-19, and now the future looks uncertain due to political turmoil. It was only a year ago when we were launching a Coronavirus Emergency appeal, which supported Myanmar with WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) facilities, and now the country is reeling once again. 

During these challenging times, we often forget that the most marginalised are hit the hardest. United World Schools works in Shan State, Eastern Myanmar, which has been affected by conflict, illicit drug production and extreme poverty for decades. Approximately 30-40% of children in the rural Shan State have no access to an educational facility, and the effects of Covid-19 and the recent political events could worsen the level of poverty and make education even more difficult to attain.

As parents struggle to put food on the table, often they feel they have no choice but to rely on child labour or child marriage. This will have a detrimental effect for years to come, trapping thousands more children in a cycle of poverty and illiteracy.  

“We’ve lost some girls to child marriage,” says Dr Kay Khaing Win, “but we have saved many more children thanks to our dedicated teachers and distance learning.”

Support children in Myanmar

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How to help Myanmar

At United World Schools, our primary focus is always the well-being of our students, teachers, and our wider school communities.

Throughout the pandemic and the political instability, our teachers and Education Officers have been working hard to continue to reach children from remote, ethnic-minority communities in Myanmar with the education they deserve.

Although all schools are still closed in Myanmar, we are preparing our 76 schools and Community Learning Sites to re-open when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to keep children safe and learning, including; 

• Giving lessons via loudspeaker and in socially distanced small groups
• Providing project based learning, whereby community teachers teach small groups new skills once a week, and give children educational projects to complete within the week before they return. This keeps the culture of education alive in communities and families.
• Continuing to support our community teachers, librarians and staff wellbeing
• Maintenance and upkeep of schools and Community Learning Sites throughout the monsoon season of 2021
• Training teachers in how to identify children at risk of child labour or early marriage like 12-year-old Eee Nwant, and bringing them back to education safely. 

Our incredible Myanmar team is supporting over 3,000 vulnerable children in Eastern Myanmar, so that they can stay safe and access a life-changing education. But we can’t do it without your help. 

Your donations have the power to transform children’s futures, offer support to marginalised communities at this difficult time and keep the culture of education alive for generations to come.

Donate now: just £25 could educate a child for an entire term.