As the war in Kachin State continues deep into its fourth year, thousands of young people living in temporary camps remain in limbo, waiting for the time when normal childhood can resume.
At the Shwe Zet camp for the internally displaced near the Kachin State capital Myitkyina, more than 400 adults and children sharing cramped quarters get by as best they can.
There are few opportunities available to the children, many of whom were forced to flee their home villages more than three years ago.
Recently, more than 30 children aged 11 to 15 spent five days learning about photography and story-telling as part of a workshop organized by InSIGHT Out!, a group that has trained youth in conflict-affected areas in Southeast Asia since 2004.
The children captured images of daily life in the camps and shared their hopes for the future in journals. Some of the young people said they wanted to be doctors when they grew up. Others wished to be singers. Many wrote that their biggest dream was simply to go home.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced and are living in temporary camps since a 17-year ceasefire between the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Myanmar government broke down in June 2011.
