How Win May is empowering children in Myanmar to write their own life stories

When Win May was a child, she dreamt of becoming a writer. The kind who inspires and sparks people’s imaginations and takes them to worlds they would have never gone on their own.

Today, Win May is still passionate about writing, but you won’t find her life’s work scrawled between sheets of paper. Her impact extends beyond the pages of a book and is making a difference to the lives of children and their communities.

As the Country Director of ChildFund Myanmar – a representative office of ChildFund Australia – she leads a team of dedicated staff to implement projects to help disadvantaged children and young people in Myanmar.

Win May says working with children and youth is critical for sustainable development. “One of my favourite quotes is from Abraham Lincoln – ‘teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults’,” she says.

A chance to combine her passions

Win May has always had a keen interest in tackling the injustices of the world and helping people in need. As a child she wrote poems and short stories about war, the environment and disadvantaged children and families.

If she was not swept up in writing, she was curled up with a book, often losing herself in novels about adventure and mystery. “I loved books and was – and still am – a bookworm,” Win May says. “And with writing, there was just always this desire to be creative.”