A brother’s keeper

A youth in northern Myanmar has much resilience to overcome the odds of life with grit.

Martin Sut Myat is from Myitkyina, the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar. Myitkyina is located 1,480 kilometers from Yangon, the former capital of the country.

He was born in a family with poor parents and it had six family members. Martin and his brother were born as twins.

Being poor, the family faced enormous challenges to feed and care for children’s education and build their future.

His father can only farm and his mother was often sick.

When Martin was old enough to go to school, his parents did not have enough money for his education. With the help they received from Catholic priests, he went to an orphanage managed by St Francis Xavier congregation to get his education.

Due to the family’s financial constraints, the parents found it hard to support Martin and his siblings’ education.

Consequently, the orphanage supported Martin with everything. While he was in Grade 8, his father passed away. Then, his second eldest sister died in a motorcycle accident.

In the aftermath of the deaths of the father and sister, it became impossible for the twins to continue their education.

However, Martin mustered his hope, dream, and resilience. He told his brother to keep going and Martin quit his education to support the brother by getting a job.

Also, he would take care of his family by supporting the mother who was suffering from heart disease.

After dropping from his education, he learned music for which he has much enthusiasm. Now, he teaches children in the orphanage.

Besides, he is already leading a charity program for the orphanage by producing DVDs with other artists.

It is good that he supported his twin brother who passed the Grade 10 exam with all the help he needed, so that the brother could go to a major seminary to become a Catholic priest.  

Now, his twin brother is a seminarian and teaches in Pyin Oo Lwin, a district of the Mandalay Region in central Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Martin is continuing his support with anything the brother needs to become a priest.

In addition, Martin is leading an alumni association for people who are from the orphanage.

“If children in the orphanage cannot continue their education for want of resources, he seeks people’s support for them. For lack of help, their education should not suffer,” says Martin.

He also added, “I am enjoying what I am doing—not only for myself but for others.”

Thanks to his benefactors and God, and of course, his strong determination to overcome the challenges. Now, he studies agriculture and veterinary at a university in Yangon.