Myanmar

World Vision is committed to partnering with the people of Myanmar to improve their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their children, families, and communities. World Vision's child sponsorship program plays a vital role in this partnership, with donors from the United States sponsoring more than 9,000 girls and boys. In addition to sponsorship, World Vision operates other programs that benefit communities in Myanmar. Highlights include:

• Providing school supplies, fees, uniforms, and other clothing and supplies for vulnerable children.
• Raising awareness about human trafficking and reducing the number of exploited children.
• Continuing to help people affected by Cyclone Nargis, distributing food, blankets, clothing, and mosquito nets, as well as supplying clean water and medicine.

World Vision began work in Myanmar in the 1950s with the support of a pastors conference. Since then, some major accomplishments include:

• Meeting the needs of children through sponsorship since the early 1960s. • Helping families affected by floods regain livelihoods with resources such as carts, rickshaws, and sewing machines in the 1970s.
• Partnering with the Salvation Army to help children in the 1980s.
• Providing healthcare, education, and skills training to hearing-impaired children and adults in the 1990s.
• Improving the lives of children living on the street, assisting with tsunami relief efforts and increasing microenterprise development since the beginning of the 21st century.

Geography and people

Myanmar is the largest country in mainland Southeast Asia. The Bay of Bengal lies to the southwest, touching nearly 1,200 miles of Myanmar’s coast.

The climate is cooler in the mountainous north and east areas, tropical in the south and west, and hot and humid along the coast and delta.

Natural resources include petroleum, timber, tin, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, and hydropower.

Over 130 ethnic groups live in Myanmar. The Burman are the largest ethnic group, making up two-thirds of the population. The official language is Burmese, but many ethnic groups speak their own dialects. English is a second language often used in government settings and in schools.

The majority of people live in rural areas near the river valley. Rural families typically have many children while city dwellers may have only one or two.

History

Myanmar, formerly know as Burma, gained independence from Britain in 1948. After some years of parliamentary government, rebellions broke out and a military leader took control in 1962.

A new military rule began in the late 1980s, and in 1989 the rulers changed the name of the country to Myanmar. Some countries do not acknowledge the name change because it came from a non-democratically elected government.

Political unrest continued through the 1990s and into the 21st century. Demonstrations against the government in 2007 ended with 13 deaths and thousands of arrests.

On May 2, 2008, as many as 2 million people were affected when Cyclone Nargis slammed into the country, causing tens of thousands of deaths and destroying homes and livelihoods. Days later, the government held the first elections since 1990. The November 2010 elections resulted in military-backed parties maintaining political control.

Please pray for:

Political stability and peace within the country.

The safety and wisdom of World Vision staff working in high-risk areas.