Freedom to Education for Young People in Myanmar

Summary

Extreme poverty, natural disasters & poor teaching have led to only 8% of children passing their Grade 10 in rural areas of Chin State, Myanmar. Without matriculating students are unable to secure formal employment or go on to further education. This project supports talented young men & women who carry a vision for the long term benefit of their people to pursue higher education. We support for individuals who carry a vision for using their education as a means for helping their communities.

$150,000
total goal

$12,929
remaining

32
donors

6
monthly donors

3
fundraisers

6
years

Challenge

Children in rural areas of western Myanmar face challenges in their attempts to access education, including: rugged geography; a scattered population; natural disasters; food insecurity; teaching in non-ethnic languages and a lack of qualified teachers. These challenges, combined with the highest levels of household poverty (73%) in Myanmar, have led to a school drop-out rate of 18% by grade 5 in Chin State, and only 8% of children passing Grade 10 in rural areas, where poverty is the greatest.

Solution

We offer students, who carry a vision for the long-term benefit of their people, the opportunity to pursue higher education. They are provided with accommodation, subsistence, mentoring and support towards educational fees. In 2016, 74% of our Year 12 students passed their final exams, and our medical students achieved between 86-91% in their year-end assessments. This was a significant achievement for students coming from subsistence farming backgrounds, many with illiterate parents.

Long-Term Impact

Health & Hope believes that education is crucial in building long-term sustainable development in Myanmar, raising levels of social awareness and preparing future leaders to be the catalysts of a fair and equitable society. Since 2009, this project has supported 97 students to undertake college & university education. Many graduates have returned to Chin state to work with Health & Hope Myanmar. Recently, these have included 3 doctors, 3 nurses, 2 teachers, and 5 business graduates.