I'm Sat Sat, I’m 21 and I live in Yangon. I have not been able to finish school. In Myanmar, it is difficult for young people like me to find jobs even under normal conditions. Now, with the halt in education, we cannot find any job.

The biggest challenge I have had in 2021 is financial and economic hardship. These days, everyone is overwhelmed. The wages are not fully paid, and some people are plunged into unemployment. The weight of my worry has increased as jobs are advertised only for those who have graduated, but even some graduates are jobless, so what chance is there for me?

My entire family overcame COVID-19, so we are also worried about the impact of COVID on our health and wellbeing in the long run. Moreover, we are worried about our safety as well. Some of these hardships can be overcome but some cannot. I do not let myself feel down over the things I cannot control. But I do my best at what I can do. I do voluntary work to help others, which requires no job experience, and this comforts me.

I help my community with everything in my power. I am doing my best to help my peers to overcome their problems. If my friends and colleagues open up about their hardships regarding education and work, I listen to them in a patient manner, comfort them, and give as much advice as I know.

I don't have a role model. I am building myself in my own way. I pick myself up when I'm depressed and feel that I can do nothing. Such bad thoughts would sway me towards negativity. So rather than doing nothing, I stand my ground strongly with the notion that helping a person raises my spirits.

Nowadays, not only are we experiencing economic, health and education problems but also challenges in other areas. People, regardless of being old or young, regardless of where they live, are all facing problems. If this is you, I would like you to think that you are not alone, and that you can feel better if you confide in someone else instead of enduring alone in times of distress. There are also many organizations, including UNICEF and Metanoia giving free services on mental health.

Good and bad come together in life. As we suffer in bad times, we will also enjoy good times. So, I would like to tell you not to be depressed and to resiliently overcome those obstacles. I would like to encourage you. I would like to tell you that you have the capacity to endure difficulties without being discouraged.