Due to isolationist military rule, ongoing civil war, and the government’s resistance to external humanitarian aid, Myanmar experiences debilitating poverty, and is fractured by the suppression of ethnic groups. Karen State, with a population of 1.57 million, experiences some of the worst health outcomes in the world: 1 in 12 children dies before reaching their 5th birthday, and 40% of these deaths are caused by preventable diseases like pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea.

One Day’s Wages partnered with Earth Mission to support healthcare infrastructure and engineering solutions in remote medical clinics in Karen State. Our partnership enabled Earth Mission to expand its Engineering Technology (E-Tech) training program, more than doubling enrollment and accepting its first two female students. Through the E-Tech program, Karen young adults learned technical skills to support healthcare infrastructure, and gained hands-on experience by constructing an engineering workshop and upgrading the solar electric system at Earth Mission’s teaching hospital. The new solar system has increased the hospital’s electrical output by 200%, benefiting more than 6,000 patients annually! Moreover, the E-Tech students now have the capacity to support physician assistances providing critically needed medical services in remote jungle clinics.