Build a girl leader

Teenage girls and young women in central Myanmar are taking the lead on earthquake recovery. After delivering emergency food, shelter, and sanitation support, these young leaders expressed their concerns for the emotional health of the children in their neighborhoods.

In August, sixteen young women - all having been active in Girl Determined's multi-year leadership pathway - came together from village groups to design and lead emotional health programming for children in their communities.

Over ten days, guided by a qualified child development specialist, they learned:

• Critical wellbeing concepts and importance for both children and facilitators;
• Basic facilitation skills to deliver wellbeing activities effectively; 
• Specific stress management techniques for different ages to engage children; 
• To strengthen personal wellbeing practices to sustain their own emotional resilience; and, 
• Promotion of safe and inclusive spaces for children in their communities.

These young women have since met parents and community leaders, set up times and locations for the play circles, and launched activities for over 408 children aged 7-13 for the first three-month-long play series.

According to Thandar, one of the young women leaders, "Parents are so relieved that we can do this. They have lost income due to the earthquakes and now need to work a lot. They are concerned too about their children and say they are agitated and afraid to fall asleep."

Girl Determined will continue this program in these communities and others throughout the coming year. Young women are gathering reflections from children in these play circles and assessing the impacts for both the children participating and themselves, as community leaders.

"This workshop - and learning these topics - really helped me to consider what it means to be a person that does not GIVE trauma to others. I want to become someone who creates safe spaces for children instead.” - Nway Nway, young woman leader

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Through a partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), we contributed to a unique study about the impact of recent crises on girls’ mental and emotional health in Myanmar.  Please have a read, and let us know your thoughts on this illuminating research: War, displacement and disaster: The mental health toll on girls in Myanmar.

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity.

Links:

• War, displacement and disaster: The mental health toll on girls
• GIRL DETERMINED: RESPONSE & RECOVERY THROUGH SPORT IN MYANMAR