OUR STORY
SONNE Social Organization (SSO) is a locally registered Myanmar NGO working with vulnerable children, young people and families.
Our story began in 2008, when our work started under the name Myanmar Professional Social Workers Association (MPSWA). In 2016, we became officially registered as SONNE Social Organization (registration no. local-0135).
From the beginning, our work has been closely connected with SONNE-International, a non-profit organization based in Vienna, Austria. While we cooperate closely with SONNE-International, SONNE Social Organization is a local and independent organization, led and operated by people working on the ground in Myanmar.
Over the years, our work has grown from a small social work initiative into a team of more than 30 people providing education, healthcare and practical support to hundreds of children and young people.
Growing through difficult times
The years before 2020 brought growth and new opportunities. We expanded our education programs, established additional centres and developed vocational training for young people.
Then everything changed.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 severely disrupted our programs and the lives of the communities we serve. In 2021, Myanmar's political crisis brought an entirely new level of uncertainty and hardship.
For many families who were already struggling, livelihoods disappeared, living costs increased and access to basic services became increasingly difficult.
For SONNE, this was not a time to walk away.
Our team remained in place. We continued our educational programs as far as circumstances allowed and maintained our healthcare activities. We adapted our work to a rapidly changing environment and continued supporting the children and families who depended on us.
The years since have shown us just how important local, long-term commitment can be.
Staying close to the communities
Today, SONNE works primarily in and around Yangon, with a strong focus on some of the city's most disadvantaged communities.
Our strength is our local presence.
Our teachers, social workers, trainers and support staff know the children and families personally. They visit homes, talk to parents, understand the circumstances behind a child's situation and respond to problems that cannot be seen inside a classroom.
We don't work from a distance.
We are here.
And we intend to stay.
Responding when communities need us
Our work has also taken us beyond our regular education and healthcare programs.
Following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake of March 28, 2025, our local team helped coordinate emergency support in the Inle Lake region. Working with local partners, SONNE supported approximately 1,800 families and contributed to the reconstruction of 100 houses.
It was a very different kind of work from our day-to-day programs, but the principle was exactly the same:
Understand what people need. Work with local communities. Then get to work.
SONNE today
Almost two decades after our work first began, SONNE remains a Myanmar organization with a simple commitment: to stand alongside children, young people and families who are facing circumstances far beyond their control.
The challenges in Myanmar are enormous. We cannot solve them all.
But we can provide a child with a safe place to learn.
We can provide a healthy meal or a medical check-up.
We can help a young person develop a practical skill.
We can visit a family and understand what is really happening.
And we can keep showing up.
We cannot change everything. But we can change something.