Twelve-year-old Kala wipes the palms of her hands on her school uniform. The student seated two seats away from her has stood up to read to the class. Two more classmates to go, and then it will be her turn.
Kala dreads this moment, as she worries about stumbling through the words and sentences. She wishes she could read as well as Kartika, whose words flow from her Tamil text book like a small waterfall in the jungle.
While reading and writing do not come easy to Kala, she is not the only one in her class struggling with school. Many children want to learn, but achieving basic literacy remains a constant challenge.
Mr Sivakumar, a teacher at Kala`s school in Batticaloa, explains that most students get very little support at home: “Many parents have not been to school or have little education themselves €“ sometimes they don`t understand the importance of education.”
Kala`s mother is unable to read, so Kala`s older sister helps her.
In addition, Kala and many of her classmates have to walk several kilometres each day to and from school. In the early morning this isn`t too hard but, by the afternoon, the heat is at its peak. Rural roads in Sri Lanka are mostly untarred and dusty, and there are no large trees to provide shade, so the daily commute can be exhausting.
Most children don’t own proper shoes and come to school in rubber slippers or barefoot. The difficulties children face in travelling to their local school results in high rates of absenteeism, and some children drop out permanently.
Nonetheless, Kala is aware of the importance education: “Reading is important. If anyone asks me to read something, I want to be able to read without fear.
“I need help with reading. Right now, this is what I need help with the most.”
For a girl growing up in a rural village of Myanmar, there is little choice for her future. She will usually work on the family farm or migrate to find domestic or factory work. This often happens at a very young age, which means she won’t have the chance to finish school.
As Myanmar opens up to the world after 50 years of military rule, new opportunities are emerging, along with new risks. It is vital that girls are equipped with the knowledge, skills and power to navigate these challenges and make informed life decisions.
Among the issues faced by girls in Myanmar:
- More than half of the country’s 8 million teenage girls are not in school, with many girls dropping out to work or marry at a young age.
- High rates of gender-based violence and trafficking/exploitation of girls and women.
- Insufficient access to reproductive and basic health services.
ChildFund Myanmar is partnering with Girl Determined to give girls the education and support they need to overcome these challenges. A structured leadership and life-skills program has been developed that brings together adolescent girls from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds to increase their access to education, health knowledge, participation in decision-making and personal development.
The curriculum spans everything from communication skills, teamwork and goal-setting to self-esteem, healthy relationships and diversity. Gender norms are also challenged through participation in sports, commonly not available to girls and young women in Myanmar.
“This program will contribute to long-term change for adolescent girls by building and strengthening their values, skills and social networks,” says ChildFund Myanmar country director Win May Htway. “These attributes enable girls to make a safe and healthy transition into adulthood.
“Creating dedicated, safe spaces for girls to meet through structured weekly activities is a key strategy of the program, so that they have opportunities to consult with mentors, acquire skills and deal with personal issues,” Ms Htway adds.
ChildFund aims to raise $100,000 from the MentorMe campaign to help 400 girls in Myanmar access the two-year program, designed to equip them with the skills, confidence and support systems they need to make informed life choices and determine their own futures.
