Australia Awards alumnus Ye Min Aung is playing a leading role in improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in rural areas of Myanmar. He is drawing on the skills and knowledge he gained during his study in Australia to scale up basic WASH services and practices, which are critically important to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Since finishing his Australia Awards Scholarship in 2017, Ye Min Aung has worked at UNICEF Myanmar as WASH Officer. In this role, he is also leading water supply, sanitation and hygiene activities for schools in Kayin (Karen) State, Mon State and Tanintharyi Region to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes managing coordination to provide technical assistance, procurement and installation of handwashing stations in schools and public locations.

“Access to handwashing stations is vital for preventing the spread of COVID-19,” says Ye Min Aung. “So, we have installed handwashing stations in schools for the schoolchildren, and in public spaces such as markets and bus terminals for the general public.”

Kayin State is one of Myanmar’s high-risk areas for COVID-19 infection. This is because its Myawaddy–Mae Sot border point is a major trading hub between Myanmar and Thailand. It has also received a huge number of returning migrant Myanmar workers from Thailand over the past year.

Ye Min Aung explains that UNICEF’s WASH activities are implemented in collaboration with a range of partners, “in the South-East regions of Mon, Kayin and Tanintharyi.”

He also emphasises that social inclusion is a core component of the school-based WASH activities he is leading. Examples of inclusion measures include ensuring that students with disability are able to access WASH services and practices, and overseeing construction of gender-segregated school latrines that also include access ramps.

Ye Min Aung received an Australia Awards Scholarship to study a Master of Water Resources Management at Flinders University. The Scholarship built on his existing experience and skills in water management, equipping him to be able to drive change and contribute to Myanmar’s development.

Through the course, Ye Min Aung was particularly interested to learn about water management in Australia. “Australia is the second-driest continent on earth. I wanted to learn how water professionals in Australia are managing and tackling the water shortage issues,” he explains. He also valued learning from leading water management and research experts in South Australia through his course.

During the global pandemic, Ye Min Aung is drawing on his experiences in Australia to provide virtual training for teachers, principals, and volunteers about WASH activities. He is also involved in UNICEF’s global outreach activities such as promoting the importance of handwashing.

“As a WASH professional, I feel very much motivated about my contribution and working on the front line, using my qualification to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from the state, regional and township level to the community level for the people in Kayin and Mon States, and Tanintharyi region,” he says.

As part of ongoing activities related to COVID-19, Ye Min Aung has implemented hygiene promotion awareness sessions and personal hygiene messaging to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases. These sessions were conducted as Training of Trainers for partnered organizations, who will extend these awareness sessions to their teams and beneficiaries.

Following the recent floods, Ye Min Aung led efforts to disinfect water sources and distribute water purification chemicals to populations affected by acute watery diarrhea. This immediate response was crucial in preventing further health crises.

The Program applies a nexus programming approach integrating emergency WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions with recovery efforts aimed at building climate resilience. This is particularly vital for communities in the hilly regions of Kayin State, where access to clean water is a persistent challenge. Ye Min Aung attended the Australia Awards Short Course, ‘Responding to Climate Change Challenge,’ delivered by the University of Queensland which equipped Ye Min Aung with knowledge and skills to tackle climate challenges.

In addition to community-level interventions, the WASH program extends to schools and health care facilities in ethnic communities across Kayin, Mon, and Tanintharyi regions. These initiatives ensure that children and patients have access to safe water and sanitation, which is crucial for their health and well-being. Throughout planning and implementation, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) serve as key foundations, with zero tolerance for any form of harassment and abuse, ensuring no one is left behind.

Ye Min Aung also serves as the WASH Cluster Coordinator at the sub-national level, managing key areas including Mon, Kayin, Tanintharyi, and Bago-East. This dual role ensures cohesive management and implementation of WASH activities across these regions. Ye Min Aung is committed to working in the sector and is facilitating systems strengthening of WASH programs in Myanmar’s Southeast region.

This article is updated to reflect Ye Min Aung’s latest involvement and impact.