Kantarawaddy Times
At 5 a.m., 31-year-old Ma Ei (name changed) carefully measures two condensed milk cans of rice with no more or no less and places them into the pot. She adds just enough water to avoid ruining the rice, then sets it on the stove.
This is what survival looks like for internally displaced people (IDPs) like Ma Ei, where they have to manage very carefully not to waste. Her morning routine reveals the value of food in her life, without a word to compare to it.
Ma Ei has been cooking rice like this for some time now. For her, daily survival is an unending battle. As a single mother, she bears the full responsibility of both mother and father to her two young children. Since her children are still too young to help, she carries the entire family burden alone.
Currently, Ma Ei lives with her children in a displacement camp west of Dee Maw Hso. They have been displaced since 2022. This is the third camp they’ve stayed at, and they have now been here for about six months.
Ma Ei was originally from a small village in Pekhon Township, Southern Shan State. Before the displacement, she provided her children with everything they needed, fulfilling both parental roles with love and care.
Back in those days, she worked on her own farmland and also led the work on her family’s small farmland, growing mainly corn and paddy rice. During harvest off-seasons, she would take on day labor to earn extra income. She managed to support the three of them not only for food but also for all their other needs without worry.
But since displacement, everything has changed. In the new place, day labor opportunities are very rare. There’s no extra income anymore. Sometimes, she can’t even afford to buy for kitchen, and the family can’t even cook properly.

“It’s not like how it used to be in our village. I feed the kids first until they’re full, and only then eat whatever is left. Sometimes, if I can afford meat, I save it only for them. I just eat what’s available,” Ma Ei shared.
Before the coup, the family used four cans of rice a day. Now, they survive on just two. Ma Ei cooks one meal for the whole day and eats only what’s left, often skipping a meal herself.
“Two cans are for morning and afternoon. In the evening, if there is still leftover rice, we eat that again,” she explained.
The rice they eat now mostly comes from donations. Even though it solves for short-term relief, she remains anxious about the future. They can’t afford meat dishes even once a month.
On top of food insecurity, Ma Ei also worries about her children’s education as the school year begins. She can’t afford new textbooks and has to ask for used ones from students who studied in previous years.
Another single mother, 30-year-old Ma Hnin (name changed), who is raising her 10-year-old son alone, is in a similar situation. She also lives in the same displacement camp as Ma Ei.
Ma Hnin was originally from Bawlake, and has been displaced for four years. This is the fourth place she’s had to flee to. Like Ma Ei, she is struggling with basic needs.
“When my son asks me for snacks, it breaks my heart,” she said.
After moving from place to place, Ma Hnin now doesn’t even have a single penny saved in hand. If she’s lucky enough to get a day job in a nearby village, she earns 12,000 kyats per day. That money is mostly reserved for her son’s school fees and books. The rest goes toward food and snacks for him.
But these day jobs are not available every day. Some days, there’s no income at all.
“We’re really struggling. If I get sick, it gets worse. We need money for food, curry, and my son’s snacks. When it gets into a very hard situation, we survive on just soup or gather vegetables to eat,” she said, eyes brimming with tears.
Before the coup, life wasn’t like this. They could work on farms and live without worrying about daily survival. They could even afford to send their children to school properly.
“It’s all because of politics. If not, I’d still be in my own home, on my own land, living fine,” Ma Hnin said bitterly.
While even ordinary families are struggling as this displacement continues longer, the situation is even harder for single mothers like Ma Ei and Ma Hnin, who have to carry the full burden of parenthood alone.
Neither of them receives any support from the fathers of their children. Still, both women remain resilient and determined to stand tall and lead their families on their own, which is very respectful.
“It’s because of my son. If others can manage for their children, I have to manage too. If others can endure, I must endure,” Ma Hnin said.
With fighting ongoing in Ma Ei’s village of Mine Pyat and Ma Hnin’s hometown of Bawlake, they don’t even know whether their homes still stand.
Despite all this, both women share the same wish for the country to return to peace soon, so they can go back to their homes and raise their children in a safe and bright future.