My name is Zinghang and I am Kachin from the northern part of Myanmar. My father passed away when I was one-and-a-half years old. Since then, my mother has been the only important guardian for me. Her spirit inspires me a lot more than I ever realized as a child. Remembering that I do not have a father has made my desire for education grow stronger.
“My mother is doing well; she can make her daughter become an educated person.” — that is what I want to prove to those people who discriminated against my mother for being a widow. Another reason is that because of my mom I want to make positive changes in the lives of mothers in some way related to business, even if it just helps a small part of society.
I attended four different schools by ninth grade, and studied Chinese from grades six through nine at a Chinese Buddhist school.
I graduated high school from No.19 Basic Education High School Mandalay in 2005. After I finished high school, I studied English for one year at an intensive English program, and a second year at Yadanabong University in 2008. In 2009, I left Myanmar to intern at Kachin Women’s Association Thailand (KWAT). I worked as an accountant there for two years and studied at BEAM in the evening.
I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples. All I want to do in my life is contribute to my surrounding society as an entrepreneur. I want to be an entrepreneur who promotes a better standard of living, better working conditions for women, and improved business-related knowledge for ethnic youth within Kachin State. I especially want to find ways to help single mothers who have taken full responsibility for their families. Since my childhood, I have seen many inspiring women bravely lead their families even though they did not have a proper education.
About Zinghang
- Age: 36
- Ethnicity: Kachin
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Payap University
- Bachelor’s, International Business Management
- Graduated
Goals & Dreams
- Contribute towards society as an entrepreneur
- Educate women entrepreneurs in Kachin State
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $4,550
- Amount Left To Fund: $0
- Contract Duration: 12 years
- Status: Repaid in Full
Quotable
Zinghang, in her own words
My work experiences with KWAT helped me understand the social problems within Kachin State, especially women’s issues. In my society, about one-third of the male population is addicted to drugs and one-fourth is in rebel armies. Thus, women cannot avoid taking over the financial, mental, and physical matters of family responsibility, even if they are not capable. I believe if these women knew how to run small businesses, their abilities would be higher.
Being able to do business in different cultures and understand different business concepts, systems, and techniques is more inspiring to me than any other career choice. Moreover, the experiences I gained from KWAT, BEAM, and my childhood are valuable for the plan that I set for my future.
My plan is to set up small local businesses with women based on their fields of expertise, such as textile production, local food and beverage production, and plantations. I will focus more on these specific industries because they can create comfortable and reliable long-term businesses for women. In the long run, I believe I will have the opportunity to increase the quality of their production.
Additionally, studying business management will give me ways to solve problems based on theories and apply them to reality. My degree would be a tool for my future to become an entrepreneur who promotes a better working environment for women and promotes business-related education in Kachin State.
In the future, I’d like to become a business management instructor at a university in my home country. Thus, I need to educate myself first by studying a bachelor’s of business administration. With my ambition to promote the lives of women, I have confidence that I will accomplish my future goals.
Written by Zinghang with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Zinghang
“Being able to do business in different cultures and understand different business concepts, systems, and techniques is more inspiring to me than any other career choice.”