Crisis Relief to People in Myanmar

When the earthquakes hit on March 28, 2025, 25-year-old Nu Nu’s first thought was for her mother, who was recovering from surgery at a hospital in Mandalay. Nu Nu hopped on a motorbike and drove to the hospital, where she found the stairs destroyed and engulfed in water. Somehow she managed to get to her mother’s room on the third floor.  

“She was in shock,” reported Nu Nu. “I wasn’t strong enough to carry her. I held her hand and told her not to be afraid, we would be okay.” 

Though she completed Girl Determined programming years ago, her response was exactly what we’d expect. Nu Nu stayed calm and eventually managed to help her mother escape the crumbling building. They slept on the street for two days before they could get home.  

For 15 years, Girl Determined has equipped girls and young women with the skills, mindset, and fortitude they need to navigate difficult lives in Myanmar. Those skills have been put to the test in recent years, especially in Mandalay and Sagaing, two regions heavily affected by war.  

The 7+ magnitude earthquakes that surged through these areas a year ago today opened up a new vein of trauma for families. Even as girls coped with these traumas, they were ready to lead.  

How girls responded 

Girl Determined had 4,000 current and former participants living in and around Mandalay and Sagaing at the time of the earthquakes. Here’s how they took action.  

They were first responders. We have countless stories of girls like Nu Nu who were ready for disaster. Just one year earlier, Girl Determined had made emergency preparedness a focus of our programming, equipping girls with the mindset and action steps they needed to stay calm and be safe. Thousands of girls knew to grab their “go bags” and shepherd their families to safety. 

They identified and managed direct relief. Girls often know best what their families and communities need. Working through the girls, Girl Determined supported 500 families with unconditional cash assistance, food, hygiene supplies, water and sanitation, and emergency shelters. With our funding, girls were able to help their families restore their homes, where possible, and even to hold funerals for family members who died in the quakes.  

They stepped up as leaders. In June, Girl Determined selected 12 new young women leaders, all had been active in our programs as girls, to guide our emergency response. The young women could see that the earthquakes and aftershocks were especially terrifying for children. On their recommendation, we engaged an emotional health specialist to train the young women to work with traumatized children. In July, the new leaders began running Child Circles for boys and girls alike. They are currently working with 800 children. We expect this work to continue indefinitely in addition to our regular programming.

Ambitious young leaders set a high bar for recovery 

For those who stayed, the work continues. Nu Nu is among the 12 young women leading the Child Circles. Twenty-year-old Aye Nu Yaing is another. Both leaders have high hopes for the children they serve. “[I want them] to believe in themselves and feel capable of handling whatever challenges come their way—not just in their own community, but in the wider world and in their careers,” says Aye Nu. “I want to see them grow into brave, capable young women.”

Thank you for walking along with us in the difficult and enduring work. Your ongoing support will allow Young Women Leaders to keep this critical well-being and health work going.  

Links:

• Myanmar earthquake: One year on - Gendered impacts and recovery
• 'Just surviving': Earthquake victims still struggling to access
• War, displacement and disaster: The mental health toll on girls