Transforming Lives in Myanmar: Meet Pwint

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7-year-old Pwint is soft-spoken and shy during our interview – happily letting her energetic and giggly little brother take centre stage. He looks to her often for reassurance as he entertains us with his antics, making sure she is also laughing at his jokes. We see what their mother means when she tells us that the siblings are very close!

Pwint smiles proudly as her mother tells us that she recently won the “Best Student Award” at her school. Shyly, Pwint adds that her favourite subject is English, and that she wants to be a teacher one day.

Seeing this happy family together, you would never know of the challenges they faced on the day Pwint was born. When doctors told the family that their daughter had been born with a cleft lip and palate, they were terrified. They had never seen a cleft before – they’d never even heard of the condition!

“How would we care for our daughter?” was the first thought that ran through her mom’s mind.

Luckily, Pwint’s uncle had heard about TF’s partner, the Northern Women’s Development Foundation.

“He told us that there was a project that could help us, that we had nothing to worry about. I felt so much better after that,” Pwints mother shares.

They learned that Pwint would need surgery, and long-term support in areas like nutrition, oral health and speech therapy to get her ready for school. Her mother says she was so scared when Pwint went into her first surgery – but TF’s partners assured her that “it will be okay!”

Even today, years later, Pwint’s mother gets emotional remembering the first time she saw her daughter after her cleft repair surgery. From the moment they met TF’s partner, they’ve had access to comprehensive support for their daughter.

Through Bright Start’s support, TF is expanding our work in Myanmar and ensuring that more children like Pwint will have access to the support they need from the day they are born until they are thriving in school.

Your monthly gift ensures that there is nothing stopping kids like Pwint from leading happy, healthy lives (and getting Top Student Awards!) – and we are grateful.

Support Children Like Pwint

You can make a life-changing difference for families like these, by supporting TF’s new Bright Start monthly giving program. 100% of your monthly gift will go directly towards helping children in Myanmar.

Become a Bright Start Donor.

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