Video: Pa Pa’s journey to confidence and leadership

Pa Pa speaks in the Myanmar language with English translation on-screen: Hello everyone. My name is Pa Pa Myaing. I am a person living with a disability.

At home, I help with household chores as much as I can. Since we run a small shop at home, I also help with selling goods. Even so, I don’t feel tired doing these tasks, as it allows me to focus on my passions without any worries.

One day, I connected with Golden Strength, an organisation of people with disabilities, and that became the starting point for me to pursue my passion. My grandfather was worried that I wouldn’t be able to manage my household responsibilities, so he didn’t give permission.

From there, I became connected with an organisation called the Burnet Institute through a project called Healthy Minds Healthy Futures, and I learnt many ways to manage my stress through this project. That’s when I began working on building up my mental resilience. I encouraged myself not to feel down.

Because of these efforts, I gained a role with the Burnet Institute’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights project. I’m currently working as a volunteer supervisor in that project.

I have also shared my life experiences with other young people with similar backgrounds to help uplift them. I will continue learning to improve my life and strive to support others like me. End of transcript.