In the southern suburbs of Yangon, in the Dala district, we started a new project in May 2021. How is it going? Tun, Tida, Win, Tan, Zaw and Min tell us how their lives have changed.
The project is located in a district where more than half of the youths between the ages of 12 and 25 dropped out of school because of poverty: most of the children dropped out to their parents who could not afford the groceries.
The Dayamit Community College was set up with the aim of supporting the youths of Dala in their training and education by organising educational and professional activities.
But what are the activities?
At the Dayamit Community College, 40 youths who drop out from school can attend basic education courses (IT, English and accounting), vocational courses (sewing, cooking and mechanics) and life skills classes every day from Monday to Friday. In addition, the young people have the opportunity to enrol in vocational training to improve their professional preparation but also to receive support in writing a CV or to do an internship at the end of the course, in a local company.
During their training, Dayamit Community College guests are accompanied by specialised staff and by a psychologist, Jose Estevao Magro, who provides them with support by organising activities to strengthen their soft skills and enable them to become more aware of their own abilities, thus facilitating their entry into the world of work.
One day a week, the centre also hosts activities with disabled children, which raises awareness among the young people who attend.
The Dayamit Community College therefore represents a real chance for all those guys born in a historical and social context characterised by significant educational and training poverty.
Thanks to the presence of Father Barnabas in the field, we were able to collect some testimonies of young people in the Dayamit Community College:
- Tun Nandar Win:
“I am Tun Nandar Win, I’m 17 years old. At the beginning I was not confident because I was afraid to talk to the elders, but after having attended Dayamit Community College I overcame my fears and now I am confident. I did not have a purpose in my life, now I am goal-oriented. Dayamit Centre made me feel at home and gave me space to express myself. My special thanks to Dayamit Community College”
- Tida Aung:
“I am 23 years old. I come from a very poor family; at the beginning I was shy because I was the oldest student in the college. Since I did not have money, I had begun to attend the college with a lot of worry. Mr. Barnabas visited my home, encouraged me and invited me to come to College. I never thought that I would be able to learn all the courses offered at Dayamit Community College, but today I can proudly say that I have achieved my goal. I began with zero, now I am ready to teach to the other students. All the credit goes to Dayamit. Thank you Dayamit”
- Zayar Win Htet:
“I am already 18 years old, my parents at home always treat me as a kid, but at Dayamit Center I feel at ease, I have created my own space and I have made a lot of friends. Here, I also learnt so many lessons for my life. I came to Dayamit withouth any expectation but now I come back home with a lot of beautiful experiences”
- Tan Tun Aung:
“I am 22 years old. After completing xth class, I was roaming around without any purpose in my life. I was not able to read properly in English. I was rude with elders and I used to fight with others. I was all the time on the street. After knowing Dayamit Center, my English knowledge, discipline, good manners have improved. Today I am a new person. For this, I am really thankful to Dayamit Community College”
- Kyaw Zaw Hein:
“I am Kyaw Zaw Hein and I am 18 years old. I did not pass xth class. Therefore, I used to wonder around without any ambition in my life. I thought learning English and computer was difficult, but in reality, it is not that hard. Mr. Barnabas insisted me on coming to Dayamit Center. At first, I begged him to leave me alone because I did not have any interest to learn but today I am happy and thankful to Dayamit Center for having helped me to discover myself. I learnt how to relate to others. Now I can express myself in English. It all happened as a dream in my life. Thank you!”
- Kyaw Min Ko:
“I am 23 years old. I was worried about my future, therefore, I decided to attend Dayamit Center. I got a lot of experience from there. I received both human and technical formation for my future. I never thought that I could be able to speak in English and learn how to use computers. Today I am happy to say that I can communicate in English. My sincere thanks to Dayamit Community College”
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