Myanmar
Read about our response to Cyclone Nargis
Save the Children in Myanmar
Save the Children has worked in Myanmar since 1995, with a focus on early childhood care and development, child survival and child protection. Today, with 500 staff members and 35 offices around the country, Save the Children is one of the largest nongovernmental organizations at work in Myanmar. To better serve the great needs of children and best use the vital resources of our donors, Save the Children recently merged programs and activities formerly managed by three International Save the Children Alliance partners (Save the Children-U.K.; Save the Children-U.S.; Save the Children-Japan) into one unified presence in Myanmar.
Challenges for Children
The situation for children in Myanmar is grave and appears to be worsening. Families in both urban and rural areas have no choice but to resort to coping mechanisms that undermine children's protection, educational standards and health prospects. Malnutrition is a growing problem that now affects one-third of children under the age of 5. Myanmar is one of the few countries in the world where many children are likely to have worse education and health outcomes than their parents.
Numbers at a Glance
- One quarter of the population lives below the subsistence level.
- The infant mortality rate is 51 deaths per 1,000 live births.
- More than half of children in Myanmar do not complete five years of school.
Our Response
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Playing is learning and learning is the child's work. |
Early Childhood Development: Save the Children's Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centers provide a nurturing environment that prepares young children for primary school. Children under school age who do not have access to ECCD services are often enrolled in primary school early, taken to the fields while their mothers work or kept at home with an older sibling who must stay out of school to look after the younger child. Save the Children's ECCD centers ensure a smooth transition for young children to primary school.
Health: Save the Children trains community health volunteers to treat children in 40 villages in Minbu Township. Treatment for acute respiratory infection, diarrhea and malaria can make a tremendous difference for children in Myanmar. This is done through a simple, low-cost, village-based approach called Community Case Management (CCM). Through CCM, Save the Children trains local volunteers to assess, classify and treat childhood
