Resilience amid adversity

Nant May Barani, a 31-year-old teacher is at the forefront of restoring and expanding education access for children in the Ayeyarwady region, central Myanmar. 

Like many parts of Myanmar, Ayeyarwady region has also been severely affected by prolonged school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by conflict since early 2021. These combined challenges have taken a heavy toll on education, depriving children of learning opportunities for an extended period. This has resulted in a widespread decline in interest in education, leaving children vulnerable to various protection risks that could jeopardize their future wellbeing and productivity.

“It was a very rapid and scary decline in learning opportunities for our children, and the looming disaster was staring us in the face with children roaming the streets and facing multiple risks,” said Nant May, who   has dedicated 5 years as a volunteer Karen Literature Instructor in a public school. She has also spent 4 years as a full-time assistant teacher in another community school in Ayeyarwady Region. In addition to government education, she was also one of the leading teachers in the local church’s Karen literature course. 

"As a lifelong teacher, it was a daily torment for me, witnessing the dreams of these children slowly fading away, and I felt compelled to take action to salvage the situation," Nant May emphasized, underscoring her drive to actively pursue opportunities to volunteer and restore educational services for children.

Nant May's aspiration to reach the largest number of out-of-school children found a crucial avenue when the Quality Basic Education Pathway for Children (QBEP4C) project was expanded to townships in Ayeyarwady region in May 2023. Supported by funding from the EU, Finland, and Australia, QBEP4C is a community-driven UNICEF initiative crafted to bridge the education gaps stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflict. It offers alternative and supplementary pathways for children and adolescents to catch up on missed educational opportunities and reignite their dreams.

Reconnecting children to education services in the community came with its challenges, as Nant May recalls: “When the children got back to learning programs, after such a long break, their interest in studying was just not there. The fact that they all had phones now just made things worse”.

At the start of the program, teachers had to contend with multiple challenges such as children showing up with their phones and some not socializing with other learners.  Recognizing the need for a fresh approach, Nant May explored  beyond conventional teaching methods not only to grab their attention but also to encourage good behavior. “I’ve slowly been trying to show the children the joy of reading. We would play games together, and I can see the kids getting better at teamwork. Give them paper and some colors, they’re all excited to draw and make crafts. They’ve even gotten the hang of keeping things tidy, putting books where they belong.”

Sa Khant Wai Aung, an eight-year-old boy who had to take a break from school halfway through the kindergarten school year because of his health condition, is also part of the program. Despite having to get blood transfusion for his high white blood cell count every now and then, he recounts his learning experience, “I really, really like coming to the library! Playing with my friends is awesome, and I love reading books. Drawing is super fun and playing with playdough is also so much fun! Teacher Nant May tells us great stories and I love her!”

Parents also respond positively to the program's impact on the children's change of behavior beyond the learning center -   from relying on smartphones to discovering a newfound joy in other activities.

“Before, when they came home, all the kids wanted was to use their phones. Now, they enjoy reading books, drawing, and participating in other activities, all while cutting down on their screen time,” said Daw Aye Myint, a mother of three whose two daughters are attending the program.

Nant May Barani also found herself equipped with newfound skills from a 10-day training program on “Digital Literacy, Literacy and Numeracy Assessment, Multiplier and Teacher Resource Package", provided by the QBEP4C project. She now seamlessly incorporates digital literacy into her teaching methods.

“I’ve now started using Learning Passport for telling stories. Also, I’m not a good drawer, but now that I can find my way around YouTube, I would search for the basic drawing videos, practice on my own first before teaching my kids. Same goes for crafting and photography, I picked up some photography tips for capturing the children in action from both YouTube and Google. Viber is also quite useful for me. Generally, I’ve learned a lot more about child rights – whenever I need to discipline a child, I’d use stories from the book instead of just saying ‘don’t do that.’ It keeps things light, and you know, doesn’t hurt their feelings.”  

On behalf of the community, Nant May Barani expresses gratitude for the impact of the QBEP 4C: “I’m truly grateful for this program. I also believe the strong interest and active participation from parents and the community have truly made this program a success. Our learning center is now filled with books, generously supported by the project and the community’s contributions.”

Nant reflects on how the QBEP4C program is empowering dedicated teachers like herself to fulfill their vision of re-establishing connections with learning opportunities for children: “I simply want the children in our community to genuinely delight in books, cultivate positive habits through reading, and ensure their needs are met, all to support them in achieving their aspirations for a brighter future”. 

Ongoing conflict in Myanmar has resulted in a lack of educational opportunities for over 4 million children. With generous funding from donors, the QBEP4C is addressing this gap by offering continuity in learning activities and establishing alternative education pathways to vulnerable and conflict-affected children and adolescents across Ayeyarwady, Bago, Chin, Kachin, Magway, Rakhine, Sagaing, Mandalay and Shan areas.

*This story is originally published on the UNICEF Myanmar website.