Our story
How Health & Hope began
Born in the remote village of Lailenpi, Chin State, Dr Sasa was named by his grandmother to mean ‘higher and higher.’ In 2007, while still a medical student, he faced the devastating Mautam famine—a five-year crisis sparked by blooming bamboo and rat surges that wiped out crops. Sasa treated thousands of victims and, with UK supporters, coordinated food aid for over 120,000 people.
Upon qualifying in 2008, he returned home to build lasting change, recognizing that true health required clean water, nutrition, and education alongside medicine. Local villagers built a training centre, and 150 communities each sent a man and a woman to train as Community Health Workers—establishing the region’s very first primary healthcare system.
Since 2009, our partnership with Health & Hope Myanmar (HHM) has strengthened health care, food security, infrastructure and education across Chin and Rakhine State. Together, these programmes have trained 834 CHWs, 126 TBAs and 30 government midwives, reached around 149,000 people across 500+ villages, treated over 3,000 patients annually at Hope Clinic, supported 450+ farmer family groups, improved rural access through Lailenpi Airstrip and training facilities, and helped more than 230 students continue their education.
Health & Hope today
The focus of our work remains on health, education, livelihoods and humanitarian relief. We are privileged to partner with dedicated local implementing partners, who work with great courage in challenging circumstances. We often work alongside the local church, which is central to community life in many villages, while providing non-discriminatory support to people of any faith or none.
Our Health & Hope team works low profile, operating in areas with very poor security and often on-going conflict. However, the range of projects being implemented is inspiring, demonstrating the compassion and care our teams have for their communities, and their unrelenting commitment to see them flourish.
Health & Hope UK
Our sister organisation, Health & Hope UK was established in 2013, and our small UK-based team raises funds, builds awareness and provides technical support for trusted local partners delivering programmes in some of the most remote and challenging communities in the region.
Together with our partners and supporters, we continue to bring health, hope and practical support to communities facing conflict, poverty and isolation in north-western Myanmar.
HHUK is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees who take legal responsibility for the management and administration of the charity, which is regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Day to day operations and management of HHUK’s activities is delegated to the Executive Director.
Health & Hope UK is registered with the Fundraising Regulator, and therefore is committed to best practice surrounding all our Fundraising activities in agreement with the Fundraising Promise and Code of Fundraising Practice.
If you have any concerns regarding Health & Hope UK’s fundraising activities, please contact us using the details below. You can also review our complaints policy here.
