Support Displaced Children in Myanmar - Children on the Edge

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412 CHILDREN GIVEN WARM CLOTHES FOR WINTER

15 EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTRES

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500 YOUNG CHILDREN LEARNING AND PLAYING IN SAFE CLASSROOMS

Ongoing conflict across Kachin State, Myanmar (Burma) has left 130, 000 internally displaced Kachin people living in remote mountain camps, cut off from education and essential services.

Children on the Edge supports 15 Early Childhood Development Centres for 500 displaced children in some of the most isolated, high altitude settlements, offering education, play and expert care for 3-6 year olds.

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A young Kachin girl in a yellow tshirt - text reads 'meet Kawn Ja Htoi Tsin' with clickable button

KAWN JA HTOI TSIN is five years old and attends Maga Yang preschool centre. Before she started, she was often aggressive and was reluctant to eat and play with other children.

But thanks to the care of her teachers, she is now much more gentle and has grown curious, asking lots of questions and learning many new words.

Her mother told us she is a "cheerful child" now.

Kawn Ja Htoi Tsin says she loves playing with her friends, singing songs and dancing.

WORKING ON 'THE EDGE' IN MYANMAR (BURMA)

Kachin State, in northern Myanmar (Burma) has been the site of a brutal conflict between the military and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) for more than 50 years.
The Kachin people have suffered the horrific consequences of armed conflict, bearing the brunt of attacks against armed groups.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced from their villages into remote mountain camps close to the China border, living in freezing conditions in the winter and unable to access basic services or humanitarian aid.
Children under the age of six have known little else but war and many have suffered severe trauma from what they have witnessed.
Whilst there is some primary education, there is no provision for early years learning at what is a pivotal time in a child’s development.
In the northern camps of Kachin state there is no other international organisation offering ongoing support for young children.

A young Kachin boy wearing a grey winter jacket standing on a hillside in a mountainous area. There are green trees on the mountains behind him. He is standing at a water tap collecting water in a silver bowl. The bowl is quite large for his small size and he is just about holding onto it. The tap is a basic metal pipe on a wooden stand and is placed on a dirt path in front of three basic buildings. These buildings are basic shelters with blue metal roofs.

WHAT WE DO TO HELP

Children on the Edge support Kachin communities who have been displaced by conflict and living in camps in northern Myanmar. We provide education, play and expert care for young children aged 3-6 years old.

We partner with two local organisations; Kachin Women’s Association and Kachin Development Group to support 15 Early Childhood Development Centres for 500 displaced children in eight of the most remote, outlying settlements.

Teachers are trained from within the camps and they deliver exceptionally high quality learning environments, despite being cut off from resources.

The Centres are safe, colourful spaces where children can play and have fun. But they also provide a robust Early Childhood Development curriculum. The aim is to allow the children, who have known nothing but conflict, to simply enjoy being children in a vibrant, caring place for a few hours a day and give them the opportunity to recover and develop into healthy, stable young people.

The Centres are supported by parents who play an active role in running the Centres. Local Committees in each camp help to maintain the buildings, create play materials, provide nutrition and learn about parenting and child protection through regular workshops and training.