My name is Blessing, and I was born in September, 1992. My father is ethnically Karen, while my mother is Lisu. We used to live in the southern part of Shan State, Myanmar. I am the second daughter among four siblings, and I have no brothers.
After I finished middle school, my family migrated to Thailand to seek a safe place with quality education and better job opportunities. Lacking any legal documents, we ended up staying in Mae La Refugee Camp near the Thai-Myanmar border. In the camp, I had a chance to continue my high school and post-ten education. I attended an HIV/AIDs education training program for a month and volunteered as a patient counselor and community educator for a three-month campaign.
When the campaign was over, I worked at the Adventist Development and Relief Agency as a secretary for the vocational training management team. I gained management skills, reporting skills, public speaking experience, and Microsoft Excel skills while working with well-trained leaders and trainers.
After working for a year, I decided to improve my education, so I applied to Australian Catholic University (ACU) in Mae Sot. I was selected and trained at ACU. In the course of studying at ACU, my English reading, writing, and speaking skills improved. Additionally, I learned how to build good relationships with people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. After earning a diploma from ACU, I volunteered in the refugee camp on a survey project for UNHCR, which was conducted by Mae Fah Luang Foundation (MFLF). After six months, I was asked to continue working with MFLF as part of a community development project.
About Blessing
- Age: 32
- Ethnicity: Karen, Lisu
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Chiang Mai University
- Bachelor’s, Nursing Science
- Graduated
Goals & Dreams
- Become a professional nurse
- Settle back in Myanmar with my family
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $8,000
- Amount Left To Fund: $0
- Contract Duration: 13 years
- Status: Repaid in Full
Quotable
What Others Are Saying About Blessing
Because of my interest in healthcare, I had a chance to attend the Nurse Aid training for about six months. After the training, I continued working with the same foundation. I helped as one of the organizing staff to arrange the foundation’s mobile medical units and health education activities in remote areas, including Karen refugee camps.
Later, I worked for the Thailand-Myanmar Cooperation on Sustainable Alternative Livelihood Development project, where an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) was occurring. I was assigned to be a health coordinator, and my responsibilities included managing the health volunteer team to control the outbreak of TB in the project area of eastern Shan State.
I dream of becoming a qualified nurse because good health is important for all human beings. Without good health, none of us can work. My experience seeing the reality of people’s health conditions in many places has shaped my dreams and created great passion in me to help people through nursing and caring.
Currently, I am studying Nursing Science at Chiang Mai University. After I graduate, I hope to resettle back in my motherland together with my family and loved ones. I plan to work as a professional nurse in a remote area.
I strongly believe that the knowledge, skills, and information I will acquire as part of my university education will be good resources to improve the health system in Myanmar. I have confidence that I will be able to fulfill my dreams and become successful in my career.
Written by Blessing with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Blessing
“My experience seeing the reality of people’s health conditions in different places has shaped my dreams and created great passion in me to help people through nursing and caring.”