The Chin Hills in Myanmar

The Chin Hills are mostly inhabited by the Chin people, but in reality, lots of other minorities are found there since at least 53 dialects have been counted in the region. Despite the proximity to India and, therefore, the increasing development of Burmese-Indian exchanges, this isolated region, long abandoned by the previous Burmese military government, is still marked by an endemic poverty, high food prices and a lack of natural resources. The population has held onto its traditional tribal lifestyle. Thus, large families (it is common to have ten children per family) live off forest clearing, livestock farming, hunting and harvesting.  

The poorest, who don’t own their own land, take it in turns to farm the collective land of the village. The growing of maize, an easier crop, replaces that of rice. Rice which is still a staple food has to be imported from the plains and the cost of transport considerably increasing its price. Consequently, malnutrition is a chronic problem. The majority of families as well as children in boarding houses only eat two meals a day.  

The lack of medical infrastructures and therefore a lack of hygiene, as well as the difficult access to electricity too dependent on villages geographical location and the lack of access to education and shortages of jobs have forced Children Of The Mekong into making The Chin Hills a priority zone for development.  

At this stage of development, the role of our volunteers is crucial to identifying specific issues in the region and listing the priorities, working closely with local representatives. The primary issue is the problem of food supplies. Then comes the issue of construction of boarding houses which are of good quality. Finally, comes the issues of extra classes and balancing out the insufficiency of the country’s education system – wherein students require additional classes in order to succeed in their studies.

This work has allowed us to work jointly with local volunteers and devise a 3 year development plan. In concrete terms, that means prioritising the renovation and reconstruction of the boarding house in the most remote area as well as smaller improvements for daily living (financing toilets, buying bedding and mosquito nets, financing solar panels to allow studying at night). At the same time, collective sponsorships cover the costs of a 3^rd meal for the young people in the boarding school, pay for hygiene products and even for a young person who has graduated to supervise the younger children.

The second priority concerns individual sponsorship in the programs. This type of sponsorship allows a sponsor to follow an individual child and pay for their boarding and extra lessons so that children have every chance at the end of secondary school to pass their final exam (Matriculation Exam). Furthermore, Children of the Mekong hope to encourage certain young people who pass this exam to train as teachers or instructors and to return to the boarding houses to improve the level of teaching and supervision.  

After the bleak years of the Military Junta, Myanmar has come to see a democratic transition since 2012. The country, however, remains fragile, victim to civil conflicts and humanitarian disasters. Indeed, when we talk of Myanmar, we often speak of Ethnic States where ethnic, religious and political ideals can overlap or clash head-on.

The most vulnerable people, especially those in the Chin Hills, should therefore be supported. This is why our humanitarian association’s action, notably our presence on the ground has only been fairly recent, and is determined to support the poorest. Always guided and anchored by our founding ideology,

we hope that the children we help today will help save their country tomorrow.