In September, during the floods in Myanmar, we witnessed a small person repeatedly rescuing people with a fishing boat in distress.

This young man is a 12-year-old called "Paw Mar" from Aung Thuka village, Lewe, Naypyidaw. Despite his age, he fearlessly saved numerous lives during the natural disaster.

In fact, whenever Myanmar faces difficulties, anonymous heroes like "Paw Mar" often emerge to help those in need with genuine compassion.

On the other hand, while there are those who engage in performative charity, people who genuinely assist those in trouble with sincere hearts are a beacon of hope for Myanmar's society.

This article is about the rare but existing "young Paw Mars." And Paw Mar can be an individual youth or a group. What's certain is that they are young people to be proud of for society.

"Paw Mar" from Lewe

"People called for me to come and save them. I felt sorry for the villagers. When they were shouting, I couldn't just stay put. I rescued people for two days and one morning."

These are the simple words of the heroic child who owns the unique name "Paw Mar." The September floods in Aung Thuka village, Lewe, Naypyidaw, were terrifyingly unprecedented for the locals. People had to climb onto their roofs, waiting for rescue.

But they were fortunate to have Paw Mar.

A 12-year-old child, steering his own fishing boat, rescued as many lives as he could with his own strength - he was like a modern-day Manimekhala for the little village of Aung Thuka.

Paw Mar carried out rescue operations without fearing the terrifying currents, with the sole intention of preventing people from drowning. He saved people not just once, but repeatedly in the rapidly flowing Sittaung River waters before official rescue teams could arrive. He is estimated to have saved about 80 people.

When the flooding subsided, everyone was amazed by Paw Mar's altruistic spirit. Once, a Red Cross youth named Sai Aung Hlaing Myint received the Henry Dunant Medal for saving a life from drowning. It's worth considering how the state should honor Paw Mar.

"Paw Mar" from Taungoo

"When there weren't enough life jackets, I gave one to a child and helped them onto the car. Then the current hit, and I was swept away with it. My head hit a tree."

These were the last words of Saw Naw Jar, a young philanthropist from the St. Paul's Church, who lost his life during rescue operations in Taungoo city, as recounted by his fellow philanthropists.

The floods in Myanmar affected 54 townships, destroying many homes and claiming over 400 lives. During this severe flooding, the capabilities of philanthropic groups and individual rescuers were notably prominent and effective.

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Despite restricted access to areas, insufficient life jackets, and lack of rescue support, the flood rescuers tried their best, risking their lives with whatever means available. The main participants in flood rescue were healthy, adventurous young people.

Saw Naw Jar wasn't the only rescuer who lost his life trying to save others from the natural disaster. In Yetarshay, a revolutionary comrade named Eagle also drowned while rescuing flood victims. Besides them, there are other anonymous young heroes who didn't make it to the media spotlight.

Those who couldn't participate in such life-risking rescue operations contributed by providing support and rehabilitation efforts to the best of their abilities, which is also commendable. As soon as the floods started, they began fundraising and collecting donations both online and on the ground. They sold handmade crafts, sang songs for donations, conducted campaigns - and in most of these activities, young people took the lead and participated actively.

Looking at these events, we can see the genuine efforts and goodwill of young people. We can also see that the strength of Myanmar's youth is not yet exhausted, not yet broken.

Mud-covered "Paw Mars" from Kalaw

"To this day, no one has told me to donate anything. They only tell me what I'm doing."

This is an excerpt from a post on the Facebook page of the Namlatt Social Aid and Rescue Team. This text is accompanied by a photo of young people holding shovels and hoes on a road full of mud and silt.

What are they doing?

After the September floods receded, roads and houses were left in a mess, covered in mud and silt. As the Myanmar saying goes, "While the wound is still fresh, the thief strikes." Although Myanmar citizens can endure a lot, suffering is not something one should get used to. So, they had to face hardship again.

The little town of Kalaw, situated over 4,000 feet above sea level, found solace in this situation. This is directly related to the content of the photo mentioned above.

In mid-September, the Namlatt Social Aid and Rescue Team arrived in Kalaw from Yangon with donated items to help with flood relief. However, when they reached the small town of Kalaw, their focus shifted. The town of Kalaw, which had been very clean and beautiful before the flood, was now in ruins, dirty and covered in mud and silt.

When the Namlatt Social Aid and Rescue Team saw the sorrow of the flood victims due to the mud-filled roads and houses, they decided to prioritize the urgent need to help, setting aside their original purpose. That was to clear the mud that covered about half of the town.

Clearing the mud left behind by flooding is not as simple as regular cleaning. It requires manpower and machine assistance. So, they quickly ordered water pumps and other necessary equipment from Yangon and Taunggyi to start clearing the mud. They set up a temporary team camp in Kalaw and cleared about ten houses a day with the available manpower, aiming to clear about 80% of the mud in the town.

Photos of young team members covered in mud from head to toe while clearing silt spread across social media and news outlets. This demonstrated a truly needed and effective form of assistance. As a result, local youth and young people from nearby towns also joined in the mud-clearing efforts. The mud-clearing operation that started on September 14 in Kalaw grew to involve nearly 150 young people by October 3, enabling them to carry out mud-clearing operations throughout the southern Shan region.

"Every household tells us, 'Thank you, thank you.' That phrase is priceless. It's incredibly heartwarming," says Ko Sai Thiha Naing from the Namlatt Social Aid and Rescue Team, smiling brightly.

Among those who donated for flood relief with large photos, the smiles of these young people covered in mud and silt were even more empowering.

Youth and the State

After the rough political changes, the phrase most often associated with Myanmar youth has been "loss of future." Given that they have been severely affected in everything from their educational situation to security and livelihood, this phrase might seem almost 100% accurate. But like a coin has two sides - heads and tails - this change also has two faces for Myanmar youth.

These faces are the loss of future and the building of future. On one hand, it's true that the future is lost due to political changes. But on the other hand, a future is also being built.

Myanmar youth have had a taste of democracy for five years. In other words, they have become people who can firmly reject a taste they don't like because they know the flavor. This has become a quality that distinguishes them from earlier generations.

Therefore, if the loss of future has become a companion for Myanmar youth, resisting darkness in their own way has also become a friend. There's no need to explain in detail what resisting in their own way means, as practical realities are already demonstrating it.

The ability of a country to rebuild and move forward depends greatly on the capabilities of its young generations. Youth are the buds of a country. The more well they can be nurtured, the better quality products they will become. This is a formula that hasn't been wrong yet.

Myanmar youth have been like flawless fruits from a simultaneously ripening orchard for the country, no matter what issues they face. They have faced uniformly like a sunflower field under the sun.

Just look at the recent flood incident. There were young people who risked their lives to save others without prioritizing their own safety. There were young people who cleared the filth left behind by the disaster. There were young people who provided support for rehabilitation.

Substitute this with building a country. You will see that young people are like a pomegranate, uniformly arranged in their own sections. And you will also see the future state.

Nu Thit Moe (Y3A)

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