Reference :
V-F-CR-F-03454-A
Date :
03/2022
Title :
Myanmar : paving her own path : Khin Myat Myat Kyaw's story
Duration :
00:02:01
Editor :
SIAN KHAI, Thang Khan
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Production company :
ICRC
ICRC producer :
SIAN KHAI, Thang Khan
Description :
Unable to attend school because of a health condition called spina bifida – that affects the formation of the spine and spinal cord and makes mobility a challenge, Khin Myat Myat Kyaw has forged her own path of self-learning.
“I like mathematics, so I used a basic textbook at home to teach myself numbers, simple calculations and how to count money,” she says.
This self-learning eventually helped Khin Myat Myat Kyaw pursue other interests like tailoring and embroidery. “I would accompany my sister to the tailor’s shop where she worked and sit for hours watching her sew,” she says. “When my sister bought her own sewing machine, I quickly learned to sew and started making my own clothes.”
Now, Khin Myat Myat Kyaw is enrolled in a three-month tailoring programme funded by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
“They’re teaching us how to take measurements. I can now sew trousers, shirts and skirts. I am also learning how to sew the three-layered and four-layered longyi,” she says.
ICRC first met Khin Myat Myat Kyaw in 2020, when it supported her with a wheelchair that made moving around easier. However, this didn’t help in the monsoon season when it gets very muddy. And crutches, although useful, can be uncomfortable.
Khin Myat Myat Kyaw invests a lot of her time looking for new ways to overcome these challenges. The process of learning is always ongoing.
“Even as a person living with a disability, you can be smart and capable,” says Khin Myat Myat Kyaw, urging others to not feel sad or depressed.
For Khin Myat Myat Kyaw, her friends and family have been a lifeline in life’s darker moments.
“When I felt unsure about joining the tailoring course, it was my mother who encouraged me to join it,” Khin Myat Myat Kyaw says.
She is not alone. In 2021, in Rakhine, the ICRC helped close to 200 people with mobility challenges, similar to those faced by Khin Myat Myat Kyaw.
English title :
Myanmar : paving her own path : Khin Myat Myat Kyaw's story
Colour/B&W :
colour
SD/HD :
HD
Resolution :
1920 x 1080
Aspect ratio :
16/9
Original material/format :
H264
Best material/format available :
ProRes 422
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