Launched in 2009 in Mae Sot, Thailand, the Rays of Youth project aims at transmitting knowledge and life skills to a new generation of young migrant leaders to become role models in their own communities and lead social change.
In 2014, the Rays of Youth cross-border project was launched inside Myanmar, mainly bringing forward community development projects. In the beginning, the project activities targeted the remotest areas inside Karen State, bordering with Thailand. Over time, awareness raising campaigns and events were organised also in villages and townships of Mon and Rakhine States, respectively located in eastern and western Myanmar.
Since year 2018, the Rays of Youth cross-border project has been targeting also Shan and Kayah States. In order to expand the project activities to new target areas, the team conducts preliminary needs assessments and baseline studies so as to get in contact with local CBOs and NGOs engaged in social development and yet build a strong network of local partners to support the organisation and implementation of activities.
In November 2018, the Rays of Youth team arranged visits to Shan and Kayah States, met with local youth and NGOs, presented their work inside Myanmar and learned more about the social problems that the youth and their communities are facing.
The Rays of Youth had first visited Shan state in February 2018. On that occasion, the team connected with the Tai Youth Organization, a youth centre based in Taunggyi that provides awareness raising trainings and activities for youth in the area. During their second visit in November, the Rays of Youth conducted a two-day Smartphone Filming Workshop for the youth living in a dormitory supported by the Tai Youth Organization. The aim of the training was to spread knowledge on video filming and editing techniques for the youth to be able to produce educational material and to spread it with their peers and communities. Following the two-day training, the youth were able to film and produce a music video, a short film and a documentary by themselves to describe the main social problems related to their communities.
During the training, the youth brainstormed and identified the main social issues plaguing their communities. Among other issues, the youth mentioned the abuse of drugs and alcohol among young adolescents as their main source of concern. In the villages and communities of Shan state, drugs are smuggled regularly and in massive quantities so that it is an easy and cheap choice for youth wanting to escape widespread depression. Most of the youth drop out from school at early stage to work and generate some income. Parents and families lack awareness on the importance of education and have difficulties in supporting and encouraging their children’s education. Moreover, villages in remotest areas lack proper education facilities and human resources. Children in need for education overwhelmingly outnumber the number of qualified teachers in the communities and the so-called “village schools” arranged by the community are not officially recognised as educational institutions due to their low-quality standards. As a result, many children lack basic education and are employed in tea shops or in the fields. Most of the youth misses the chance for higher education so that there is a widespread lack of active citizens that could contribute to community development and social change.
Within the visit to Shan state, the Rays of Youth also visited two dormitories, one in Inle Lake and one in Hsihseng, to deliver some hygiene sets (tooth brush, tooth paste, and towels) and improve the hygiene practices of the children. The team also organised game activities to spread knowledge with entertainment and fun.
Following the visit to Shan state, the Rays of Youth team travelled to Loikaw, Kayah state, for their first time. During the baseline assessment, the team was able to meet with the following organizations: Local Development Network, Foundation for Education and Development, Kainayar Rural Society Development Organization (KRSDO), and Mawduklarmee Social Development Association (MSDA). During the meetings, the representatives of local NGOs and CBOs mentioned conflict among the main source of displacement, poverty and lack of education, issues that have a disproportionate impact on the remotest villages of the area. Similarly to Shan state, a major concern is the ease in access and use of drugs and alcohol for young adolescents. As a result, there is a huge need for awareness raising and capacity building trainings and campaigns on a wide range of issues to improve and promote education and livelihoods.
The local organisations showed their willingness to collaborate with the Rays of Youth to organise awareness raising activities that target youth. Thanks to the contact with local organizations, the Rays of Youth had also the chance to visit Sew Toh Ro dormitory and to organise some game and child-friendly educational activities to spread knowledge on safe migration and human trafficking.
Baseline assessments are a preliminary stage for developing a network of collaboration with local organizations and institutions that are active in social development and youth empowerment. As such, a strong network of partners is the very foundation of a successful and participatory implementation of activities inside Myanmar that takes into account and effectively address the specific needs of the targeted populations.
In year 2019, a new group of participants will be selected to join the Rays of Youth leadership and music programmes in Mae Sot. For the first year, the programme will be open not only for Burmese migrants in Thailand but also for representatives of youth coming from Karen, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, and Kayah States so as to build an ethnically rich and diverse group of future leaders.
