For Kee Awi, a student at the Jesuit-run Campion Institute in Yangon, Myanmar, learning English is breaking her family out of the cycle of poverty.
“I need to learn English to make my dreams possible. That’s why I’m attending Campion Institute, and I hope that I can make opportunities for my life, my family, and my country,” she said.
Due to decades of violence and oppression, many young people in Myanmar are not able to receive a quality education and lack employable skills.
Recently a combination of the violent military coup and COVID-19 has left devastating impacts on the country, forcing vulnerable ethnic minority groups into desperate living conditions.
“Nobody in my family has an income. I quit my job due to security concerns and we can’t go to our own home anymore,” she said.
After fleeing their village to nearby safe zones, conflict continues to be right around the corner, prompting Kee Awi to move to Yangon to learn English, for the sake of her family.
“I have two younger brothers and one younger sister who are under 18, and they would be students of high school and elementary if the situation in my country was more stable. Now they are missing out on an education,” she said.
With a focus on service and social justice, the Campion Institute teaches students of all ethnicities and religions, while exemplifying Ignatian values.
Thanks to your compassionate support, the Campion Institute teaches young people English language skills and critical thinking to enable them to become future leaders and to transform their communities.
First Spiritual Exercises – Prayer of Radical Transformation
Let us join together in the Prayer of Radical Transformation written by Fr Michael Hansen SJ, National Director of the First Spiritual Exercises Program.
