Surviving the Covid-19 Pandemic in Myanmar: Stories of Children's Fights and Hopes

Abstract

This collection of children's stories was created as part of a research project titled "The Impacts of Covid-19 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Myanmar", which was conducted by Terre des hommes (Tdh) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) under the Covid Collective Research Platform in Hlaingtharya Township, Myanmar, from August 2021 and March 2022.

As part of the research, the research team conducted interviews with 58 children involved in child labour and worst forms of child labour. Among them, 15 were selected to co-write their stories. The stories were originally written in Burmese and then translated into English. Before collecting and writing the stories, the research team consulted with both children and their guardians. In addition, the research team used child-friendly and participatory methods throughout the story writing process. The stories provide insights into the pandemic’s impact on the lives of children and their families, including consequences on their income, living conditions, food security, housing stability, physical and mental health, and their engagement in child labour including the worst forms. Additionally, the team gathered inputs and suggestions from concerned stakeholders from civil society and non-government organisations prior to the stories collection.

The goal of this collection of testimonies is to amplify the voices of children, enhance their visibility, and provide a valuable resource for organisations, partners, and practitioners working with children. We hope that these stories will shed light on the working lives of children and help organisations and practitioners promoting child rights incorporate the lived experiences and voices of children engaged in child labour in their programme design, pandemic recovery plans, and advocacy for long term solution to the worst forms of child labour in Myanmar.