The Lifeline in the Labyrinth: How Community Volunteers are Delivering Health and Wellbeing to Myanmar's Hard-to-Reach Youth

MYANMAR—For adolescents living amid Myanmar's ongoing conflicts, the crisis is not just a disruption of daily life, but a critical barrier to vital information on health and rights. "It’s like walking through a maze blindfolded," says May Oo, a 15-year-old from Shan State. "There’s a veil of stigma and silence on topics like sexual and reproductive health. We’re navigating through life without the necessary guidance, facing barriers and risks at every turn."

In the nation’s hard-to-reach areas, where infrastructure is damaged and services are fractured, young people are often cut off from trusted sources. In rural Kachin State, for example, limited phone and internet access means essential knowledge on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health and wellbeing (MHPSS) is frequently unattainable.

In response, community volunteers have become the critical bridge, delivering support directly to those most in need.

UNFPA’s partner, Plan International Myanmar, is collaborating with local organisations to strengthen these community-based interventions. The initiative trains local volunteers to provide Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and MHPSS activities, reaching adolescents and youth in communities where formal services have all but vanished.

Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is more than simple facts; it is an age-appropriate curriculum that equips young people with the life skills to understand their bodies, protect their health, build respectful relationships, and seek help. The curriculum covers SRH, consent, gender equality, and GBV prevention, significantly reducing risks such as unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), while also boosting communication and decision-making skills.

Access to sexual and reproductive health information is a fundamental human right. Yet, in humanitarian settings—where conflict, geography, poverty, disability, and identity already marginalised youth—ensuring this information is inclusive and safe is paramount.

“At first, I was worried about whether I could teach others or speak confidently in front of young people,” she shared. “But with practice and support, I gained confidence and realised that I could share this knowledge effectively.”

In villages plagued by limited connectivity and pervasive stigma, Nan's sessions provide a vital service: a safe, open space for young people to learn, ask questions, and be heard. The MHPSS training also brought personal change, improving Nan’s own ability to cope. "Previously, I would keep my feelings to myself," she explained. "After learning practical techniques, I applied them in practice and found that they really helped me a lot.

Today, young people and other community members regularly seek Nan’s guidance for emotional concerns, family pressures, and personal difficulties. While volunteers are not a replacement for specialized clinical care, they offer crucial first-line psychosocial support, providing empathetic listening, simple coping techniques, and practical guidance. In crisis-affected areas, this steady, local presence helps reduce isolation and encourages healthier coping mechanisms.

Nan actively integrates discussions on gender equality into her sessions, recognising how traditional norms in rural communities restrict girls’ education and decision-making power. "I hope these discussions reach not only young people, but also adults," she stated. "Understanding gender equality is important for everyone."

The program is also designed for maximum inclusivity. Khin Mya Kyi, a young woman with disabilities, spoke to the necessity of this approach: "People often think that I didn't need this knowledge. After I joined CSE training, I came to understand that everyone has the right to access information regardless of whoever they are. I feel empowered.

Investing in local volunteers is an investment in the community's long-term sustainability. By building the capacity of local members through CSE and MHPSS training, the initiative fosters community ownership, ensuring that knowledge remains a local resource, accessible even when external aid is challenged by conflict.

Nan's experience is a compelling example of what happens when young people are equipped, trusted, and supported to lead in hard-to-reach communities. Through trained community volunteers, this approach is building knowledge, confidence, and resilience among adolescents and youth, ensuring that geographical location, conflict, disability, or stigma do not determine a young person’s future.

* Name changed for privacy.

**This story was originally published on the UNFPA Myanmar website.