Lent Fast Day 2015 Zin Thu Thu's story

Zin Thu Thu

Hi I am Zin Thu Thu. I am 8 years old. .

I live in a jungle village in Myanmar. Myanmar is a beautiful country.

I live with my mum and dad, and I have five brothers and sisters.

I like to skip. After school we play and we make things from bamboo like rings and bands.

In Myanmar we cover our faces with a paste called thanaka. Thanaka protects us from the sun, and is meant to make the skin softer.

In the morning I get ready for school. I wash my face and my teeth. I get dressed and I apply thanaka. I like thanaka because it smells nice.

When I was very young there was a very strong cyclone.

The cyclone killed many people. When the cyclone was over, my village looked very different. Most of the fish in the river had died and the trees in the jungle had been destroyed.

CAFOD worked together with my village to rebuild our lives, helping us find land to farm while we waited for the fish in the river to multiply again.

CAFOD also supported my community to learn ways to keep safe if there is another emergency.

In school we talk about what disasters can happen and how to prepare for them.

We need an emergency bag where we can keep noodles and soap and things to help us through the storm.

In our bags we take: Dried noodles A blanket Water Medicine

Torch ID card Candles and Pencil case

What would you take on your bag?

My message to children in England and Wales is to say hello and I hope you don’t have cyclones and flooding in your country.

The changing climate is making life harder for people across the world. Think about…

• What is your message to Zin Thu Thu? • What do you do to take care of the environment?

• In what ways are Zin Thu Thu and her village preparing for a future storm?

• What can you Cut Out this Lent to support communities like Zin Thu Thu?

Photos: Ben White Illustrations: Per Karlen