Supporting children and families living under the shadow of conflict in Myanmar

Above: Thin Thin* with her children. Ongoing conflict in the Sagaing region of Myanmar has created fear, and reduced the family’s ability to earn a living through agriculture. Photo: Save the Children

Thin Thin*, 41, is a mother of three living in a village in the Sagaing region of Myanmar. Her two older children, both boys, are aged 10 and 5. Her youngest is a baby girl. Thin Thin’s husband works as a farmer, and the family relies entirely on seasonal crop sales to make a living. 

However, since 2021, the escalating conflict and insecurity in the region have made it increasingly dangerous for the family to work in the fields. With reduced harvests decreasing their income, the family’s daily lives have become more difficult.

“As harvests are no longer as bountiful as they were in the past, we’ve had to prioritise our survival over health and education,” Thin Thin said.

Unfortunately, due to the constant fear of the conflict, Thin Thin’s children have also begun showing signs of emotional distress and have grown quiet and withdrawn. 

“They feel uncertain about their future and education, as they are unable to attend school despite being of school age,” Thin Thin added.

In response to the challenges faced by families such as Thin Thin’s, Save the Children has worked with its partner in the Sagaing region to set up a Child Friendly Space (CFS) where children can feel safe and play with others, with the support of the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP).

Thin Thin’s children have slowly became more cheerful again since they began attending the CFS.

“The CFS has supported them in becoming active and happy again,” Thin Thin said. 

Save the Children, through its local partner, provided Thin Thin’s family and other households in their village with child protection services, including arranging awareness-raising session on child protection and knowledge sharing about the caregiving practices. At first, Thin Thin was unsure how to support her children’s emotional wellbeing. But through these sessions, she learned new ways to nurture and care for them. She now feels more confident in her role as a parent and is committed to continuing her learning about child protection and parenting practices.  

Thin Thin is deeply grateful for the support her family and community have received. She hopes that more organisations will continue to bring such care and knowledge to families like hers in the future.   

“The children in the village have become less fearful and more cheerful,” she said. “I am very grateful for their support, and I hope more organisations like this will come to our village to support our children and our community.” 

Through the AHP response, Save the Children, collaborating with local partners, is aiming to deliver lifesaving assistance to address the growing needs of these internally displaced persons (IDPs), host communities, and other crisis-affected populations in Myanmar.

*Name changed