Myanmar
Stories from change-makers in Myanmar
Htay and his family are Muslim. More specifically, they’re the Muslim minority Rohingya.
Rohingya people in Myanmar are persecuted. Because of their ethnicity, they’re viewed as second-class citizens, or not even citizens at all. Many Rohingya people don’t have identification papers. That means they’re denied public services, can’t travel freely and face challenges accessing hospitals, schools and employment.
But Rohingya children are just like children anywhere else — they need to be free to learn and play. Htay’s favorite thing to do is spend time at the child-friendly space that was set up in his village by Plan International.
“The child-friendly space is a safe place for the children who are here,” explains Htay. “I’m especially happy for them that they have the possibility to play and learn here.”
These spaces are part of Plan’s protection work, which aims to keep children safe from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and make sure that they understand their rights. Creating safe spaces for children to learn and play, especially children who have experienced violence, is very important.
This space is letting many children and adolescents like Htay better prepare for their futures.
“I want to learn more about life skills to know how to support my family in the future,” Htay says.
*Htay’s name has been changed to protect his identity.
Learn more about our protection work
But Rohingya children are just like children anywhere else — they need to be free to learn and play. Htay’s favorite thing to do is spend time at the child-friendly space that was set up in his village by Plan International.
“The child-friendly space is a safe place for the children who are here,” explains Htay. “I’m especially happy for them that they have the possibility to play and learn here.”
These spaces are part of Plan’s protection work, which aims to keep children safe from violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and make sure that they understand their rights. Creating safe spaces for children to learn and play, especially children who have experienced violence, is very important.
This space is letting many children and adolescents like Htay better prepare for their futures.
“I want to learn more about life skills to know how to support my family in the future,” Htay says.
*Htay’s name has been changed to protect his identity.
Ei Thandar is one of the many youth activists in Myanmar really stepping up as a leader during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plan Myanmar launched a virtual youth-led campaign in collaboration with UNICEF. The campaign is spearheaded by 125 young leaders, including Ei Thandar. It aims to raise awareness about COVID-19 and make sure children understand how they can report gender-based violence.
This is crucial right now. The pandemic has put children, especially girls, at even more risk of violence. And with many of them isolated at home, they’re less likely to have access to traditional ways of seeking help.
Ei Thandar plans to be an activist for life.
“As a young woman, I see the virtual campaign as an opportunity for us to acquire leadership skills and take our first steps towards becoming great leaders,” she says.
The youth activists chose a sun as their campaign symbol. They’re painting it near their homes to signify that they’re shining a light on the violence and abuse that might otherwise go ignored.
Their campaign motto is: "When they go quiet, we go loud." Ei Thandar and her peers want to make sure vulnerable girls and children in Myanmar know that they have allies beside them during this difficult time.
You can protect girls during COVID-19
This is crucial right now. The pandemic has put children, especially girls, at even more risk of violence. And with many of them isolated at home, they’re less likely to have access to traditional ways of seeking help.
Ei Thandar plans to be an activist for life.
“As a young woman, I see the virtual campaign as an opportunity for us to acquire leadership skills and take our first steps towards becoming great leaders,” she says.
The youth activists chose a sun as their campaign symbol. They’re painting it near their homes to signify that they’re shining a light on the violence and abuse that might otherwise go ignored.
Their campaign motto is: "When they go quiet, we go loud." Ei Thandar and her peers want to make sure vulnerable girls and children in Myanmar know that they have allies beside them during this difficult time.
Plan International has been working to improve children’s lives in Myanmar since 2008.
Our work in Myanmar
Office & operations
Plan Myanmar’s country office is in Yangon, with program offices in Mandalay and additional operations in Ayeyarwady, Kachin, Rakhine and Sagaing.
Technical areas
Protection, Health, WASH, Skills and Work, Social Cohesion and Peacebuilding
Number of sponsored children
As of June 2022, people like you sponsor 14,017 children in Myanmar through Plan International.
Gender equality is a fight we must all take on together. Through sponsorship, you can change lives and create long-term impact in communities.
The full circle of Fate
When you sponsor a child through Plan, you form an incredible friendship.
But that’s just the beginning. With Plan, you also have the unique opportunity to:
Send them birthday gifts and cards.
Give them special holiday presents called Little Treasures.
Subscribe them to Plan’s educational kids’ magazine, Sunny Days.
Arrange a visit (pending any travel restrictions), with individual travel assistance from us.
Each gift offering is safely hand-delivered by us, and given to your child with personalized cards from you. It’s likely that the child you sponsor will have never seen anything like these gifts, and with the exception of Little Treasures they’re available year-round to make the bond between you and your sponsored child even stronger.
Meet a child to sponsor