Maran has been on the run her entire childhood

The family left everything behind, their home, their daily life and all their belongings. First, the family took shelter in the jungle and then fled to the Shwezet IDP Camp in Kachin State, northern Myanmar. At the time, Maran Hkawn Nu was just five years old.

That was 12 years ago and Maran still lives in the refugee camp with her family.

- There are nine of us in the family so it's a big family. My mom looks after my brothers while my dad tries to find work to support the family. My sister and two of my brothers have disabilities and my sister still needs medical treatment," says Maran.

The family comes from Kachin State in northern Myanmar. There, an armed conflict between the Kachin Independent Organization and the Myanmar government has been ongoing since the military took power in 1962. After a 17-year hiatus, the conflict flared up again in 2011.

Difficult to start over in the refugee camp

In Myanmar, there were hopes for a democratization process after the free elections in 2015, but after a coup d'état in early 2021, the military took power again. Conflicts increased throughout Myanmar and today around 1.5 million people live as internally displaced persons in the country.

For Maran and her family, starting a completely new life in the camp was a difficult adjustment.

- We have had to struggle very hard in the refugee camp. In the beginning, we had to cook, eat and sleep in a very small space. As I have three siblings with disabilities, I think we are the family that has suffered the most. Sometimes the other children in the camp tease my siblings and I can get very angry, even though I try to stay calm," says Maran.

Fighting for their siblings' schooling

In the refugee camp, Erikshjälpen has worked together with the local partner organization Kachin Baptist Convention to give the children a safe and secure life in the midst of the burning civil war. After decades of conflict, Myanmar is today one of the most insecure countries in Southeast Asia and, as always in armed conflicts, it is the children who suffer the most.

These range from high child mortality rates due to lack of health care to large numbers of children dropping out of education after primary school. In the Shwezet refugee camp, Maran struggles to keep her siblings going to school every day.

- I understand that my siblings are a bit behind in school because of their disabilities and I pray that they will do well. Even though we live in a refugee camp, I want them to succeed in their education," says Maran.

Wants to return home as soon as possible

Violence, drugs, trafficking, child labor and landmines are commonplace for many children in Myanmar. According to the Kachin Baptist Convention, many children live in constant fear of losing a relative or being killed themselves. The Kachin Baptist Convention works on the basis of a special child protection program where the children themselves are involved in activities that strengthen their protection against violence and various forms of exploitation.

For example, protecting children from being sexually exploited and helping those who have been exploited, or offering child soldiers the opportunity to start vocational training instead.

Maran dreams of one day being able to train as a nurse, but it is difficult. She has to help out in the family by taking care of her siblings, and she also has to do extra work in a laundry to earn money for her sister's treatments.

- We have now lived here in the refugee camp for twelve years. I wish for nothing but peace so that we can return to our home village.

Thanks to Erikshjälpen's work in Myanmar, Maran and her younger siblings can grow up in protection from the dangers of war.

Author: Johan Larsson