When 26-year-old Khin Su Wai walks through the shattered grounds of Yadana Theingi Nun Monastery School in Sagaing Region, the memories are painful, but her dedication to her work as a teacher remains unshaken.
“I lost everything – my two sons, my husband, and my mother-in-law,” she says quietly.
On 28 March 2025, a powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, destroying homes and turning entire communities to rubble. Yadana Theingi Nun Monastery School was among the hardest hit in Sagaing.
Sixteen people lost their lives at school, including Khin’s loved ones. Khin has been a volunteer teacher at this school for more than 7 years.
“I couldn’t eat or sleep. I didn’t even recognize myself in those early days,” she recalls.
Yadana Theingi is not an ordinary monastic school. It is a place where internally displaced people from across Myanmar were hosted even before the earthquake happened. It is a sanctuary for over 100 students (ranging in age from 5 to 18) including novice monks, nuns, and children from diverse ethnic backgrounds such as Chin, Paluang, Shan, Burma, and Pa-O (from the East of the country).
Everything changed
After the earthquake, everything changed. Previously seated at desks in classrooms, the children now study on bare floors sharing only one whiteboard. When the main building collapsed, safe sleeping spaces also became limited.
“There are not enough places for the children to sleep,” Khin explains. “We do what we can, but it’s very difficult.”
In the immediate aftermath of the quake, volunteers from the Myanmar Red Cross – many from communities hard hit by the quake – jumped into action.
In response to community requests, they set up tents provided to IFRC by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) with funding from the Government of the Republic of Korea. These tents offered a critical, temporary safe place for people as they work toward rebuilding their livelihoods, homes and communities.
Red Cross volunteers also installed tents in nearby places such as mosques and community areas in Poe Tan Quarter, Sagaing.
A comprehensive response enters a critical phase
But this is only a small part of the support the Myanmar Red Cross delivered. In five states and regions impacted by the quake (Sagaing, Mandalay, Naypyitaw, southern part of Shan and eastern part of Bago), Red Cross volunteers provided tarpaulins, shelter kits, cash assistance, health care, mental health and psycho-social support, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, and many other forms of support.
With support of the IFRC Emergency Appeal and other International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners, as well as other donors, the Myanmar Red Cross has so far reached close to 200,000 people with emergency shelter, health care, safe water, and cash assistance. This includes over 23,000 shelter kits, 6,000 family tents, and over 13,000 people reached with health care, including through mobile clinics.
As we mark 100 days since the earthquake, the IFRC honors the dedication of Myanmar Red Cross volunteers – as well as volunteer teachers like Khin Su Wai – who have given so much to help their communities cope with these tragic events.
The IFRC also calls for far greater support for its Myanmar Earthquake Emergency Appeal in order to enable the Myanmar Red Cross to help more people rebuild their homes, re-establish livelihoods, and restore communities.
The next 100 days will be a particularly critical phase given that rebuilding safe transitional shelter and sustainable livelihoods takes more time and investment than the early, emergency response phase. At the same time, the Myanmar Red Cross will be helping these communities prepare for potential future shocks.
Unfortunately, as of now, the IFRC’s Myanmar Earthquake Emergency Appeal has only garnered 22 per cent of the funds that would be needed to help the Red Cross achieve these goals.
Reviving displaced dreams
At the Yadana Theingi Nun Monastery School, the desire to rebuild is strong as many people yearn to get beyond relief and begin pursuing their real life dreams.
“I want to help people rebuild the buildings safer,” says 16-year-old novice monk Khaw Gay Shwe, a student at the school. Khaw was displaced due to civil unrest from Chin State. His favorite subject is English, and he dreams of studying overseas to become a civil engineer.
Another 12-year-old novice, Aung Khant wants to become a teacher like Khin. Like many of the students, Aung Khant has been helping to clear the debris from the collapsed building outside of school hours.
Meanwhile, the young novice monks sleep safely at night inside the tents. “The novices really love the tents,” Khin says with a rare smile. “They aren’t forced to sleep there - they want to. It feels fun for them.”
During the day, the children don’t stay in tents because they are exposed to the scorching 40-degree Celsius heat. But come nightfall, the tents transform into places of rest and comfort.
For Khin, there is no going back to her old life. “I plan to volunteer at this school for the rest of my life,” she says. “I have nowhere else to go. Even though it’s painful, I will do my best to keep going.
"I’m truly grateful to the volunteers and donors who provided tents to our school as temporary shelter. There are still a lot of critical needs, from rebuilding the school to securing teaching materials and food. But step by step, we will rebuild."
Learn more about the IFRC’s Myanmar Earthquake Emergency Appeal
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