Myanmar

Myanmar is facing a political, human rights and humanitarian crisis, compounded by COVID-19. The crisis has caused severe disruptions to basic health services across the country which potentially long-term consequences for people’s health and well-being. There is limited access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services while there are reports of worsening sexual and gender-based violence.

In partnership with UNFPA, our health programme in Myanmar focuses on enabling adolescent and youth (including people with disabilities) to realise their sexual and reproductive health and rights and freedom from gender-based violence (GBV) through empowering individual young women and men in Magway, Southern Shan and Kayin States. Under the Women and Girl First Programme of UNFPA, VSO volunteers are working to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support service provisions in Kachin, Rakhine, Southern Shan, and Northern Shan States.

In 2022 project is aiming to reach 1,200 adolescents and youth through peer-to-peer support sessions initiated by our sexual and reproductive health and rights youth ambassadors.

Key achievements (2021-22)

• 60 Youth Ambassadors trained in sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• 20,240 (57% women, 43% men) engaged with sexual and reproductive health and rights via youth knowledge sharing and awareness raising on social media.

Learn more about VSO Myanmar's work in sexual and reproductive health and rights on Facebook.

Millions of children and youth in Myanmar have been denied their right to access education due to the combined effects of COVID-19, escalating conflict, prolonged school closures and a growing humanitarian crisis. It is likely that disadvantaged and marginalised children and youth will be disproportionately affected by the crisis, particularly children with disabilities; boy and girls living in the poorest and most remote communities; and children and youth who have been displaced by conflict. The consequences for their learning, psychological well-being and life chances are profound.

VSO’s inclusive education programme aims to ensure that marginalised and vulnerable children and youth gain equal opportunities and well-being through education. By mobilising international, national and community volunteers, VSO and its partners have been delivering flexible, community-based interventions to provide learning opportunities for children and young people in communities in Mon, Southeast Myanmar, prioritising the following areas: 

• Increased access to inclusive and safe learning opportunities for marginalised learners  
• Greater parental and family participation in children’s learning 
• Access to quality professional development opportunities for teachers and educators  
• Strengthening the resilience of communities by building their capabilities to address shocks and stresses and to ensure continuity of education and learning 

Key achievements (2021-2022) 

• 35,358 direct beneficiaries of education interventions in Mon State, Southeast Myanmar 
• 71 youth volunteers mobilised in collaboration with a local partner to support delivery of community education interventions Learning spaces established in 26 communities  
• Emergency food distribution to 4,070 children and family members impacted by food insecurity in project areas 
• Collaboration with education in emergencies cluster to deliver grade 1-4 learning materials to 6,068 children in remote communities (3,214 girls and 2,854 boys) 
• Numeracy for All resources contextualised and translated for use in schools and community learning spaces with training provided for 53 volunteer teachers  
• In addition, 15 modules on inclusion and inclusive practice developed as part of the Towards Results in Education and English (TREE) teacher education project.