Phuu Thit Kyaw

Growing up next to a big river in Myanmar, Phuu developed a deep love and appreciation for nature. “I watched the tides of the river every single day. It’s so interesting and beautiful to witness. I realize that if we continue harming nature, we might lose some of these beautiful ecosystems very soon.”

Phuu crossed the river every single day to get to Maritime University where she studied Engineering. Me and my brother financed each others studies, when he worked I studied and the other way around. Now that I am here he works to finance my family and the household. In Myanmar it is often done like this.”

Phuu got her spark when she studied engineering. She knew she wanted to work in the field of nature, climate and environment. “I worked as a junior consultant at a Dutch consultancy firm in Myanmar. At the time when I finished my bachelor in 2019 we were working on several water and environmental related projects in Myanmar. When the Military coup happened in 2021 the company had to leave the country and I decided I wanted to get a master’s degree in the field of climate change.”

When Phuu first came to Wageningen for her master in climate change the focus was on education. Today, studying here also means safety for her. “There is mandatory military service for men and women in a certain age group. They can come by your house unannounced and take you. It is a very dangerous situation for young people. Part of the reason my family was so happy I received the scholarship was that I am safe here.”

Envisioning what her future will look like is difficult, Phuu doesn’t know if she will even be able to return to her home country due to the Military coup and it’s ongoing ripple effect on people’s lives. Whatever it may look like, she knows she wants to address and combat climate change. “Climate change is actually happening right now. It does really matter and everything will not be fine by itself. So, I wanted to study it to know more about it. I’m mostly interested in the adaptation part, how we cope with the impact of climate change and navigate the changes socio-economically and biophysically.”

Without the Anne van den Ban scholarship Phuu knew that doing this master was out of her reach. The email informing her that she received the scholarship was life changing for her. “When I heard I got into the study I was excited but I knew that without a scholarship I would not be able to actually go. My whole family was home, waiting for the news. There was a it’s not a big deal attitude going on because they didn’t want me to be disappointed if I didn’t get it but I knew it was very important to all of us.”

“The Anne van den Ban fund creates opportunity for people who really need it. An apple means nothing to people who are full, but if they give that apple to someone who is hungry it can mean the world to them. There is so much potential wasted in war, inequality and poverty. This fund has a big impact. I hope it will grow so more students can be helped.”