Nearly four years after the February 2021 military coup snuffed out an experiment in democracy and plunged an already poor country into deeper poverty, the people of Myanmar continue to suffer at the hands of a junta known for cruelty and mismanagement.
In a break from the relentless stream of headlines of aerial bombings of civilians, mass killings and other atrocities, RFA Burmese has documented efforts of ordinary people to help each other and their communities – and the outpouring of generosity they inspired.
Restaurants for the poor
An RFA Burmese story about a family-owned street restaurant offering meals to the urban poor for the equivalent of 33 U.S. cents went viral in early 2024, drawing more than 4 million views on Facebook, and tens of thousands of views on YouTube.
The video tripled the number of customers for the cheap meals, but it also tapped into the strong Burmese tradition of charity. Thousands of people came forward to donate money, rice and curry, and the property owner offered the family a larger space.
A video story about a young woman in Yangon who runs a roadside restaurant catering to working people drew nearly 2 million viewers on Facebook, and also went views on YouTube.
It also brought in a wave of hungry patrons. The influx of diners allowed Lu Lu, the restaurant owner to increase turnover and serve more working urban poor people.
Help for struggling seniors and children
Many of the half-million people who tuned into a video feature on an elderly couple in declining health eking out a living gathering and selling firewood did not stop at watching or sharing the report.
The couple, who had lost their only son in a storm at sea over 10 years ago, received a flood of donations of cash as well as cooking oil, rice, pepper, onions, salt, condensed milk and bread.
In a country where a third of the population needs humanitarian assistance after more than three years of civil war, more than a million viewers watched a four-minute profile of 11-year-old Pone Nyat Phyu helping her family make ends meet by weaving and selling mats in between her schoolwork.
Keeping breadwinners employed
A video feature on a family-owned business that employs more than 60 people making traditional handmade brooms for export drew 2.2 million views on Facebook in February –- leading to renewed interest in the products and job security for a workforce that supports hundreds of people.