The group’s campaign officer Sa Khwar Khwar said the group has started providing the aids since March with the aim to promote Western Pwo Kayin literature, which has become weakened.

“The literature and language of our Western Pwo Kayin people have weakened compared to other Kayin people. Kayin literacy has declined due to a decrease in Kayin language speakers. So, we are doing this to uplift our literature. We hope for the re-establishment of Kayin national schools like in the British colonial era,” Sa Khwar Khwar told KIC News on April 3.

The group has provided kindergarten textbooks, exercise books, and pens to 1,765 teachers from 25 villages in Kangyidaunk, Wakema, Yekyi, Kyonpyaw, Nyaungdon, Ma-ubin, Labutta, Kyaunggon townships.

“We conducted field surveys and provided the aids to the first villages that contacted us. The teachers are trainees from respective township literature and culture groups. Everyone is under respective township literature and culture groups,” said Sa San Min, training supervisor from the Western Pwo Kayin Literature Support Youth Group.

Kayin youths who are working abroad are the key supporters of the group and the group has been providing these aids every year since 2014.

Local Kayin youths and Pwo Kayin youths working in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea established the Western Pwo Kayin Literature Support Youth Group in October 2014 with the aim to support and promote Western Pwo Kayin literature.