My name is Awng Di. I am the fourth among five siblings; I have one brother, two older sisters, and one younger sister. My parents are farmers who live in Hu Nawng Village, Kutkai, Northern Shan State, Myanmar.
Before I came to Thailand, I lived in Kutkai, which is a small city along the Lashio-Muse road. I completed my basic education in Kutkai. After finishing, I moved to Mandalay to attend Education College because I was very happy to become a teacher. Once I finished the diploma degree at Education College, I was sent to Shout Haw Village, Kutkai Township, to serve as a primary academic trainer, a job I held for five years.
At the same time, I took university courses in Lashio by way of distance education. My strong ambition is to serve my community, but it is difficult to get higher positions in the government sector and I do not want to serve under the current order. If I did so, I would not be able to use my abilities freely and fully.
So I decided to resign from my position, as I wanted to develop personally and gain further education, knowledge, and skills that would allow me to serve my community more effectively. I came to Chiang Mai with my sister in 2014 in search of better educational opportunities.
After living in Thailand for a month, I started an internship with Kachin Women’s Association Thailand, which lasted for six months. Later, I attended classes at the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth. I was unfortunately unable to find a suitable job after completing these programs because of my limited Thai language skills. Still, I found some work just for my survival and to learn basic Thai. I refused to return to Myanmar without getting the education I came here for.
I enrolled in the Social Science program at Chiang Mai University, but I do not have enough scholarship funding to cover my expenses. Therefore, accepting a loan from Zomia is the only solution for me to keep my dreams alive. I have prepared for higher education for years and now am close to achieving my dream. The only thing I need is financial support. Many of the problems I now face will be solved if I am given a Zomia loan.
Written by Awng Di with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
About Awng Di
- Age: 34
- Ethnicity: Kachin
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Chiang Mai University
- Bachelor’s, Social Science
- Graduated
Goals & Dreams
- Become a great teacher
- Reduce armed conflict in Myanmar
- Financially support IDPs in Myanmar
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $3,775
- Amount Left To Fund: $1,900
- Contract Duration: 11 years
- Status: In Repayment
Awng Di
“As my dream is to give back to my community so others can benefit from higher education, my loan from Zomia will make the world a better place.”
