Exile, mental health and the Saite channel ^{CEFR B1}

After the February 2021 coup many people fled Myanmar and faced new hardships. Exile Hub, which partners with Global Voices in Southeast Asia, emerged after the coup and focuses on empowering journalists and human rights defenders. In exile, some people have turned to mental health work as a quiet form of resistance.

Lucas grew up in Mandalay as the youngest of five siblings and studied microbiology at Yadanabon University. He later ran his familyĂs rubber production business and trained in tennis, once dreaming of the Olympics. Corruption and cronyism closed doors, and after the coup the economy collapsed. He lost his mother and felt less anchored when his father planned to remarry, so he left Myanmar in 2022 and worked in blue-collar jobs abroad.

Loneliness contributed to deep mental distress, and a conversation with a friend trained in psychology led to a new project. In October 2022 Lucas launched the Saite YouTube channel to raise mental health awareness, offer coping strategies and nurture resilience. Saite now has nearly 9,000 subscribers; Lucas made the first animated videos entirely on his mobile phone and summed up the approach with the motto "to work with what we have, not focus on what we lack." Exile Hub also offers MHPSS services and can connect people with trained professionals who listen and provide care.