An Update from Myanmar amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Five Talents seeks to empower women and men living in the most fragile regions of the world to find a sustainable path out of poverty through entrepreneurship.
These unprecedented times have necessitated that our programs pivot and respond to a new reality. Much like the rest of the world, the government in Myanmar has restricted travel and public gatherings and instituted social distancing measures. But we have continued to find ways to connect and provide support for our program participants, whether by phone or through online meetings.
Creativity, Resilience, and Strength
Over the years, our programs in Myanmar have built up resilience and creativity in our partners, savings groups, and program participants. It is a joy to see how this resilience and creativity is now enabling once fragile and vulnerable communities to weather even the seismic impacts of this global pandemic.
The recent celebration of Mother’s Day weekend is a timely reminder of the strength, compassion, and selflessness of women, not just within our own families and social circles, but around the world. Five Talents’ programs in Myanmar are implemented through a partnership with Mothers’ Union, a network of women who exemplify these qualities through their faithful support and service to local communities. Five Talents has worked extensively with Mothers’ Union to embed the foundations of biblical business training into Mothers’ Union leaders, members, and programs.
Business Skills Training and Community Development
Even though Five Talents savings groups have had to pause most of their saving and lending activities, the biblical business training those groups received has allowed for creative and effective responses to COVID-19. For example, MU Country Coordinator Cynthia Yin Yin Maw shared that raising awareness of the virus was an immediate priority. Utilizing marketing and communications strategies, they used social media platforms like Facebook as well as text messages to circulate information about COVID-19 to their communities.
Likewise, the Mothers’ Union helped their communities respond to COVID-19 by applying their business trades to making face masks and sanitation supplies. Many program participants had developed skills for making soap and sewing, and they were quickly able to apply those skills to sewing face masks and making hand soap and sanitizer. All of these products are serving communities that would otherwise be much more vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. Across the Five Talents’ program areas in Myanmar, these masks and supplies will go to families in need, and also equip health centers in rural areas.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to witness to how the fruit of Five Talents’ work in Myanmar is manifesting in the resilience, creativity, and service of our partners and program participants during these difficult times.