Storytelling in Rakhine State: An Assignment for Oxfam
In and out of Rakhine State
Hello and welcome to my first issue of Where the hell is Mary? This time, I was assigned by Oxfam to capture stories of women living in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Find out where I went, the challenges, the stories, and the way I go about my work on the field.
(A thatched house on the outskirts of Sittwe Township, Rakhine State
Oxfam implemented a women empowerment program that was changing lives for ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya women. It was the first program of its kind because it challenged gender norms and addressed inequality in both Buddhist villages and within internally displaced people’s camps (IDP) where the Rohingya Muslim communities lived.
Myat Soe Nwe smiles to camera.
Meeting and filming the women was inspiring but challenging. One woman who struck me was Myat Soe Nwe, a 20-year old woman from a Buddhist rural village who dropped out of school and forged her dreams when her mother fell ill. You can watch her story here.
Filming on the 'down–low’
Barbed wire fences enclosed the camps
Filming got a lot trickier when we had to get into the IDP camps with my camera gear to film stories from Rohingya Muslim women.
There were military checkpoints which you had to pass before you could reach the camps.
At each checkpoint, a soldier with a rifle would come out to check your papers. Luckily they didn't see the gear (packed in two tiny backpacks.)
And of course, my camera phone also became my best friend.
Filming as we passed through.
Some context on the situation in Myanmar: when Rohingya communities were attacked by the military and radical Buddhist groups, thousands either fled to Bangladesh in the masses or were displaced from their homes and shuffled into confined IDP camps in-country. It’s like an ‘open prison’ essentially; families live in hot, crowded basic shelters, movement in and out of the camps is restricted and access to health care and education is very limited.
Nu Nu Sein with her three daughters.
The stories from the camps were definitely a lot grimmer and there were times when I had to quietly process my own thoughts and feelings about just how unjust life was. More than 180,000 Rohingya Muslims had been displaced by military conflicts and were herded into confined camps since 2012. All of the stories were heartbreaking, including Nu Nu Sein’s, whose village was attacked seven years ago. She was very open and candid in her video interview about life as an uneducated, persecuted Rohingya woman trying to support her children in the camp. You can watch her story here.
Telling their stories
Ma Khin Nu speaks to us about her life before 2012.
I always approach storytelling by establishing three things: trust, rapport and the participant's involvement.
I share a bit of my own story – my background, my family, why I'm doing the work I'm doing – and that often helps breaks barriers and put the participants at ease. Allowing them to make fully informed decisions is important. Only share what they’re comfortable to share and if they don’t want their story told anymore, that's OK too.
Women in Oxfam’s safe space in the IDP camp, Rakhine State
“Where in the world is Mary Tran” is a snapshot into the movements of Australian visual impact-storyteller, Mary Tran, working in the international development, non-profit space.
She’s a multimedia specialist and creates compelling, emotive multimedia content for purpose-driven organisations and companies. She’s captured stories from eye camps in the Himalayas, refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar and from Indigenous communities in outback Australia. Her major clients include Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty International. She holds a Masters degree in development studies, majoring in refugee and migration issues.
To see her portfolio, check out www.glassfuller.com