Towards the Peaceful and Educated Life of Children and Youth in Myanmar

Myanmar is among the least developed countries in the world, with one quarter of the population living in poverty. The country has been going through major societal changes over the last few years which have also affected the state of civil society.

The emergence of COVID-19 left the country reeling with a humanitarian crisis: the country’s health care system is close to collapse, many families have lost their income and children and youth have poor access to education.  

Improving access to education and digital learning opportunities

Fida’s Country Programme aims to promote access to education and improve digital learning opportunities for children and youth. The main partner is Assemblies of God Myanmar, a local church denomination consisting of over 1,000 churches and parishes. The other partner is Myanmar Evangelical Christian Alliance (MECA).

Work is implemented in the Yangon region, and in the Kachin and Rakhine states. 

Advancing peacebuilding and conflict resolution

The Country Programme’s focus is on improving the lives of children, youth, women, and persons with disabilities. Work includes trainings and workshops on children’s rights, especially on their right to education. Learning and peace centres are established to new areas, and the accessibility of the current learning centres is improved.

Peacebuilding activities include promoting dialogue between different religions and actively involving youth and women in the peace processes. Families receive support and training in order to generate an income and continue to support the children’s education. Both partner organisations receive training in administrative and financial management and advocacy work.