Pictured above: We help internally displaced families like Jamai's support and feed themselves by raising livestock 

Dear John,

As we continue exploring the many ways migration affects our work with communities through our 'A World on the Move' appeal, today we focus on our work with families displaced by conflict in Myanmar.

Issues around internal migration, where people move from one part of a country to another, are often a factor in our work. In countries like Myanmar,
protracted conflict has led to displacement of millions of people.

Jamai, who was forced to move from her community with her husband and two children due to ongoing fighting, reflects on their experience as internal migrants:

"Here, the weather is very different from our village; as soon as we arrived, all family members became sick. We spent three months at the hospital, and we spent all the money we brought from the village on medical expenses.

At first, we had no rice fields, and living was tough. Our family relied on vegetables collected from the forest. Then we started rice farming and now, somehow, we're able to harvest rice and vegetables from the farm."

Pictured above: Small-scale agriculture provides essential food and income for families in rural Myanmar

Many mothers with young children in rural Myanmar spend much of their time at home, especially as it is difficult to find suitable work outside the home.

As Jamai explains, livestock raising provides a vital opportunity for housewives to earn money and empower themselves:

"My kids were young and I only spent my time with my kids. I stayed at home, and only my husband worked for the family. I started raising livestock, initially with two pigs and four chickens I'd brought from my village. I bought the piglets with money I had saved since a young age in my money box. After raising the pigs for several months, I sold one to pay for my kid's pre-school graduation ceremony.

After that, I bought a piglet was a replacement, and eventually sold another pig to cover my children's education costs and other family needs. Anytime I sold a pig, I bought a piglet to replace it. I would usually do this not only with the pigs but also with the chickens."

Pictured above: Our team helped Jamai grow her flock of chickens by providing training and additional breeding stock

Jamai continues: "Over the course of several months, those four chickens had produced a flock of over 90 birds. Unfortunately, a series of diseases killed most of the chickens in the village and I was left with only one hen and no money to replenish the flock.

One day, a Health Poverty Action Nutrition Volunteer who normally supports pregnant women and new mothers in my area suggested I should attend home gardening and livestock raising training being organised by Health Poverty Action and their partners. One of the key things I learnt is to feed chickens more in the evening rather than morning...Before, I used to find chickens dead in the coop in the morning...Since I started feeding them more in the evening, I haven't seen a dead chicken in the morning.

After training, I received five chickens, one rooster and four hens...and now the flock has grown to around 50 chicks. I recently sold three chickens to pay my kids' school fees and buy some essential household items...I'm planning to cover my children's education costs by raising livestock." 

By contributing to our ‘A World on the Move’ appeal, you can help communities, health workers and activists support internally displaced families, like Jamai's, so they can thrive in their new homes.

Please give whatever you can today and contribute to building healthier, more prosperous communities:

£15 could help to provide eight undernourished children from internally displaced families with the emergency food needed to improve their health

£38 could pay for vegetable seeds and chickens so internally displaced families can produce nutritious food to eat and trade

£94 could cover the cost of training an internally displaced person to raise livestock to eat and trade

Warm regards,

Siaffa Bunduka,

Supporter Engagement Manager