A little over one hour’s drive from Hpa An, the capital city of Kayin State, lies the village tract of Pan Kone. It is accessible only by a dirt tract that winds its way through fields, hills and villages. It was here that the Women’s Organisations Network (WON) held a two day Census Information sharing workshop in the village of Nga Net Pyar, in Pan Gone village tract, on 17th and 18th May. Sponsored by UNFPA, through People in Need, WON is one of 36 organisations being supported in community capacity building in the use of Census data. Nan San San Aye, the Vice Chairman of WON, said: “Days before the workshop, we visited the village and met with the head of the village administration. He welcomed us warmly.” It was this coordination that led to a successful workshop.
Thirty five people attended the workshop, facilitated by WON. They included villagers, members of a local civil society organisation, Pyae Wa, which focuses on human rights and land law, as well as village administrators, a primary school teacher, and members of the media. Some came from nearby villages such as Htone Bo Kwayt, Sin Kyone, and Pan Kone, but they all had to travel some distance to attend.
“Despite some language problems, the workshop was successful”, said Nan San San Aye. She explained that they had followed the trainer’s facilitators manual, included in the toolkit, and covered the eight sections related to the main census themes during the two day workshop. Of most interest to participants was the frequently asked questions booklet as it helped address some of the doubts and anxieties they had about the Census.
Naw Soe Soe Aye, a village primary school teacher from Nga Net Pyar Village, reflected on the workshop: “I need information about the census so that I can share it with my students as well as their parents.” Her sentiments were echoed by U Paung Kyaw, the head of the village administration: “I welcomed the WON to conduct the workshop here as our villagers need knowledge about the census. Now we can discuss the doubts they have about the census, which is largely because of a lack of information”. One of the concerns was why pencils had been used to fill in questionnaires, once villagers knew the reason for this, it allayed their concerns. As a village elder, U Paung Kyaw was also looking forward to the release of the main results in May saying: “We now realise that the Census is essential for our nation’s development. The data, both at the Union and State/Region level, can be used to plan numerous projects.”
Ma Shwe Lhyin, from Nga Net Pyar village, could not agree more: “We really appreciate this workshop as we lack information and knowledge. We listen to the radio and watch TV programmes but they could never have given us as in-depth knowledge on the Census as this workshop. We thank WON and other agencies who made this happen
