An assured future
"Now, I am in Grade 4 at school. Unlike my older brother, I am fortunate to continue my education. He had to work instead of going to school due to our family's daily struggle for food," said Myo.
In the small village of Kyangin, 9-year-old Myo shares his story of how his family overcame financial challenges and food insecurity, working towards a brighter future.
Myo’s father passed away when he was only 8 months old, leaving his mother and older brother, who was 12 at the time, to fend for themselves. With the main breadwinner gone, the family’s struggles worsened. Myo's mother had severe health issues and couldn't earn enough to feed the family. His older brother had to drop out of school at 14 to help support them.
“The older one dropped out in grade 6 because we needed him at home after my husband died. He worked various jobs and helped me around the house. He was only 14 at the time,” Myo’s mother, Moh, recalled. “We worked hard together to find income for the family.”
Despite their efforts, they often went into debt just to put food on the table. They did farming, intensive labour, and any work they could find, but their future seemed uncertain.
After years of struggle, Myo started participating in the area development programme of World Vision and the family was selected to join its Ultra Poor Graduate Programme. His mother received training in livestock farming and income management through World Vision. They also received food baskets, nutrition kits, school supplies and hygiene kits.
“With World Vision’s livelihood training, especially in the livestock business, my mother could earn enough money for our family and pay off our debts. She joined the Savings for Transformation (S4T) programme and has been saving for three years with encouragement from World Vision staff,” Myo shared.
Now the family not only has a chicken farm but also a pig farm. Besides, they have two cows and plan to start a cow farm. “I am very thankful for the help my family received, taking us from an uncomfortable lifestyle to a comfortable one. I followed World Vision’s guidance and am so grateful. Now, I’m planning to buy a big farm and achieve even more,” Moh stated with gratitude.
“Because of World Vision’s help, our family is eating well now with much less difficulty. Our debts are paid off, and we live a more comfortable life,” Myo said with joy.
Now, Myo can attend school without worries and dreams of becoming a doctor. Their mother, Moh, runs a successful livestock and farm business, and his brother is happily married.
Without much worry, Myo and his family can look forward to an assured future together.
The Kyangin Resilience and Livelihoods Programme has been implementing technical projects since October 2006, including Building Secured Livelihoods (BSL), Savings for Transformation (S4T), and Ultra Poor Graduation (UPG). Through the S4T project, 129 savings groups have directly impacted 12,205 people, including 2,441 children. The BSL project has benefited 1,804 individuals, including 434 children, while vocational training has positively impacted 358 people, including 97 children. As of 2024, the programme has positively affected a total of 27,864 people, including almost 7,523 children, through comprehensive technical programmes in child protection, resilience and livelihoods, education, and health and nutrition. These efforts aim to raise the standard of living and prevent food insecurity among the affected populations.