Organization Background

Mawk Kon Youth has been organized since 2004 with the leading of youth leaders of Shan Literature and Cultural Committee (SLCC) in Eastern Shan State to promote leadership skill among youths, to give development awareness and adolescent life skills for youths, and to provide livelihood opportunities for the youths. Mawk Kon Youth aims to be local non-government organization to contribute regional development by focusing on capacity building of youths and provide livelihood opportunities towards village communities in Eastern Shan State. The group was simply named as Mawk Kon (Cherry), which is the symbolic flower of Shan State.

Shan Literature and Cultural Committee was established in 1997 and empowered youth in upholding literature and cultural, based in Keng Tung ,Eastern State. The committee has been functioning well and major activities including organizing Annual Shan New Year Festival, Shan literature trainings and strengthening networks with other Literature and Cultural Associations.

In 2004, a number of meetings were conducted by Shan Literature and Cultural Committees on holding Shan New Year. Meanwhile, they noticed that there was hardly any youth who could lead the program. The youth then were found facing with high risk of being infected with HIV/AIDS and could not reach up to leadership level, due to lack of knowledge, experience, pioneers, and resource opportunities. Thus, the committee members had made a decision to form a youth group and implement the program, realizing the important role of capacity building for youth. Then, this group, Mawk Kon Youth, has been formed under the guidance of Shan Literature and Cultural Committee since then. Since in its initial, the leader who has been operating the program is Daw Nang Voe Phart. The group has begun its operation with the capital of 700,000 kyats, 200,000 kyats from SLCC and 500,000 kyats from local businessmen. Mawk Kon Youth has been implementing the following planned activities:

• Agricultural, Livestock skill training, Vocational skill trainings
• Leadership training series
• HIV/AIDS awareness
• Anti-trafficking and safe migration awareness
• Women’s Leadership training
• Women Exchange Program
• Community Organization
• Constitution and Democracy
• Reproductive health awareness
• Summer youth literature campaign
• Life skills training series in Eastern Shan State with local fund raising till 2009

From 2004 to 2009, the beneficiaries have been reaching over 2000 youths per every year. 66 Youth leaders have been turned out trained. Mawk Kon Youth received technical supports and collaboration from Northern Shan/ Southern Shan/ National Shan Literature and Cultural Association, Keng Tong Township Health Department, Township STI/HIV development, and World Vision Myanmar Keng Tong Project.

Since 2011, Mawk Kon Youth has changed its name as ‘Mawk Kon Local Development Organization’ and applied for official registration in 2012. In July 2014, MKLDO gained official registration and has been implementing development projects and civic empowerment project such as food security and livelihood, capacity building program on vocational skills, health, leadership and awareness program on forced labour project. The donor agencies were SWISSAID Myanmar, LIFT (Livelihood Improving Food Security Trust Fund), Paungku, Yinthwe Foundation, US Embusy, European Union(EU) , ILO , USAID ,.GIZ.and MIID.

 Previous Grant Experience: MKLDO is a registered local NGO and an active member of Food Security Working Group and Myanmar NGO Network. The Program Director has more than (15) years of experience regarding development field and multi-sectoral development programs, more than (5) years of experience in overseeing integrated farming and value change development and more than (8) years of experience in strengthening village-based Civil Society Organizations. It has been implementing an integrated program in the proposed target villages and other villages since October April 2009. The grant experiences of MKLDO:

Key activities included capacity building of youths regarding Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS, trafficking in person, vocational skills and leadership.Food security and Livelihood,

Improving livelihood through civil society strengthening project.and Prevention of Humen Trafficking  on Children, Youth and Women.Safe Migration Awareness Raising.