Youths participate in an exercise during one of the Myanmar Medical Association’s Youth Development Programs this year. Pic: Supplied

MA Eaimt Phoo Phoo Aung, 19, said her decision to attend the Youth Development Program in 2007 was definitely the right one.

Organised by the Myanmar Medical Association (MMA) since April, 2003 and assisted by the United Nation’s Population Fund (UNFPA) since 2005, the program aims to promote health in the community through young people like MA Eaimt Phoo Phoo Aung.

It is a free program, open to anyone from 19 to 24 years old and interested parties need only apply to the MMA to enter. If there are enough candidates, the association will organise a course and this year has been a major success – there has been eight already.

“I learned a lot about healthy living during the program and believe that it taught me a lot about interacting with my family, friends and strangers,” she said.

Before attending the program she said she has sometimes experienced problems communicating with people, something she now finds far easier.
“The training gave me a better understanding of how we interact with people, especially our friends,” she said.

For Ma Eaimt Phoo Phoo Aung there have also been other benefits.

“As a direct result of the program I was chosen to attend the Youth Camp for Asia’s Future, which was held from July 29 to August 18 this year in South Korea,” she said.

Ma Eaimt Phoo Phoo Aung said she was thankful to have been given the opportunity to attend the camp, which she said further increased her knowledge of health matters, attitude, behaviour and communication.

Another person who benefited from the program was Ma Hnin Nwe Nwe Aung, who is now a youth coordinator with the program, after passing the exam for third level of the program. This exam was primarily based on the students’ knowledge and awareness of HIV/AIDS.

“I only attended the program the first time in 2003 because my father told me that he’d cut off my allowance if I didn’t go,” she said cheekily.

To her surprise, she liked the program and returned a second time to complete “Training of Trainers for Peer Education”, before progressing into the third level of “Youth Leadership Development Training”.

“As a coordinator, I planned for all requirements of the new training open, including contacting the applicants, arranging places for training and sometimes even acting as presenter to new trainees,” she said.

Assuming the role of presenter is something Ma Hnin Nwe Nwe Aung said she thought she would never do.

“When I was in grade six, I had to compete in an impromptu contest at my school and I felt so embarrassed being in front of all those people. From then on I’ve been really afraid of public speaking,” she said.

Maung Zin Moe Win, 24, said the program’s emphasis on health awareness, especially on HIV/AIDS led to some surprising developments for him – he attended the 17th International AIDS Conference 2008 in Mexico.

“I’ve noticed a lot of personal development after attending this program, especially in my communication skills and knowledge of health,” he said, adding that he too is a now a youth coordinator at the program.

Dr Ne Win, secretary of the General Practitioners Society, which is under the Myanmar Medical Association, said that the general aims of the program are to increase overall knowledge of healthy living in young people. It’s also designed to aid young people to make healthy decisions in their lives.

“When we start this program, there were only a few youths who attended but the word has spread and now there are many people waiting to take part,” he said.

The introductory program takes six days, during which attendees are taught courses on health knowledge, decision making and communication skills.
Only the third course requires an exam for successful completion, he said.

“Some of the more successful youths find jobs after they complete our course,” Dr Ne Win said, adding that there are now 43 working for domestic or international NGOs in Myanmar.

Daw Than Than Nu, who is the mother of a first-year university student, said that she heard about the program from her friends and is very interested in sending her son to the course.

“I think that if there were many programs like this one it would be good for young people because they face so many opportunities to make bad decisions – like using drugs or engaging in unsafe sex.”