Bighter Light for better life

Bighter Light for better life

Ah Nauk Su Village is locted under the lower part of the Thabaung Tsp in Ayeyarwady Region and yearly flood effected vilage. This region people rely on agriculture, some small seasonal plantation and small fishery. Only one time per year paddy plantation is available. The common problem of people in this region is lack of job opportunities especially for daily wages workers and small farmers. For regular income, they have to depend on the big farmers’ hire. Because of less income, vulnerable families are uncertain for food security and secure settlement when they are shock of natural disaster. Therefore, KMSS-Pathein is implementing the DREAM project in those areas with the partnership of Stromme Foundation in which one of the activities is empowering families to enhance livelihood income and dear dream of their future.

 46 years old woman, Daw Tin Tin Ngwe is living in Ah Nauk Su village with her husband and two children. She had been suffering the pressure of highest interest rate for many years. Because of the bad system of oppressing vulnerable people with huge interest, she had to give 1100000Ks for 100000Ks until losing her house and land. At that time her husband and she had to work even at night to release from debt. Despite of being tried hard, he couldn’t release from it. Her husband was depressed and drunk for many years. On the other hand, she worried for her children future even she has nothing left for the school enrollment of her children. She said, “In the morning even cold in winter, it was hot in her heart.” Therefore, she sold her two dogs and used them for the school enrollment. She got angry and cried out to her money lender to extend the payment period. She had nothing and already given 11 times of actual borrowed money and she released, but not officially. After later, her husband became stable reducing drinking and they work hard together and owned a small house and new land again. After that her husband work outside and she grew seasonal fruits for their family.

At the starting of the project during the mass community meeting, she went to meeting as a duty, she didn’t listen carefully and she knew nothing about project. Few months later, she went to the meeting again without purpose and decided to join the project for just one hope of receiving help to improve her family. After that because of the effort of the community facilitator with closely facilitation and trainings provided, she was motivated to think of her future. According to her saying, now she can reflect herself and think of other fairly as well as she value time and appreciate the trainings and meetings. She becomes to think of her family future well especially for their children. She is motivated to try systematically for the development of her family and she expends her income generation activities by planning. During the previous years she dared not do more income generation activities because of failure and investment with high interest rate. She said, “Now she grows three times instead of one plantation without having too much worry on debt because of the empowerment of project and understanding of the value of time.” Besides, she is dreaming to have a secure house to persist yearly flood effect, otherwise with enough money to move a secure and standard place. Therefore, she planned to expend income generation activities not only seasonal plantation but also start up truck (it is being used in the farm to curry paddy especially in the villages). In her family development plan for children, she is saving to buy a boat to go to drive for the children to school. By now she is always dreaming to develop their family away from debt cycle and insecure life situation.