The PIME missionaries have served in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, since 1868. Since the first four missionaries arrived there, six have been martyred, two have been beatified and others are on their way to sainthood.

After the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the nation in 2020, Myanmar experienced a military coup in February of the following year. During the last three years, many people have died, many churches have been burned down and many families have fled into the forest. Unfortunately, this turmoil is still ongoing, so specific PIME missionaries and areas cannot be named directly.

Since 2020, the World Bank estimates a drastic reduction in Myanmar’s economic conditions. The nation faces multiple financial challenges, including Western sanctions, withdrawal of Western investments, a sharp increase in unemployment, the collapse of the local currency, a lack of liquidity and frequent internet disruptions. Local businesses have experienced a dramatic decline in sales and profits.

Schools in Myanmar closed in March 2020 and reopened in June 2021. The Ministry of Education estimated that out of approximately 9 million school-aged children, only 900,000 – 10 percent -- registered to return to school. Tens of thousands of teachers who had joined the nation’s civil disobedience movement deserted schools. 

The education ministry dismissed 120,000 of the nation’s 451,000 teachers. Nearly 300 education employees were charged with inciting disobedience, with a maximum penalty of three years in prison. 

Even before 2020, education in Myanmar was neglected: Myanmar is among the bottom 10 nations in the world for educational spending, with expenses amounting to 1.9 percent of its gross domestic product in 2019. Education is compulsory only until age 10, one of the lowest standards in the world. The civil war has further eroded an already fragile education system.

Additionally, the government has maintained a rule in place since the 1960s that mandates that all education must be public and cannot be delegated to private entities (except for preschools). 

In January 2022, the city of Taunggyi saw the arrival of thousands of displaced individuals fleeing the fighting. In response to this crisis, establishment of an informal, primary school in Taunggyi for displaced children ages 6 to 18 was proposed. 

A nongovernmental organization supported by the PIME missionaries is the last such agency allowed to operate in Myanmar and coordinated this endeavor.

The school, launched in early February 2022, aimed to accommodate 180 children. Its educational approach combines the study of traditional Burmese subjects with the organization of workshops and group activities overseen by a psychologist. 

The school's name is “Do Giaong” – “Our School” -- and was chosen by the children themselves. This is a school desired by children, built with the help of parents, an anthem to the freedom of education and the desire for a peaceful childhood. After a successful first academic year, it was decided to continue the school for a second year because of the ongoing conflict and the impossibility for the students to re-enter the official school system

Coordinators of the school wish to increase enrollment to 350 for the new year. Support for their work will help pay for more subjects and activities, fostering holistic learning and development. The aim is not only to enroll these children in school but also to ensure they attend at their appropriate grade levels, receiving education suitable for their ages. 

Will you help provide a sense of normalcy for these children? Learn more about how you can change lives with us www.pimeusa.org.