Growing up in a Karen village along the Thai–Myanmar border, I learned early that education is fragile. It can disappear quietly when life becomes difficult. Even so, my family believed it was the only way forward, despite everything around us suggesting otherwise.
My parents worked as migrant laborers in Thailand, while my grandparents raised me in our village. We depended on farming for survival, and our village school only offered classes up to Grade 4. After that, many children left school to work or marry early. I often wondered whether my own education would end the same way.
Eventually, I left home to continue my studies at Mae La Refugee Camp. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, as I suddenly had to live away from my family while learning to manage daily responsibilities on my own.
During that time, my father passed away unexpectedly. Besides the emotional loss, my family lost its main source of income. My mother had to support all of us with very limited resources. I questioned whether I could continue my education, but she told me something I will never forget: education is the only inheritance I can give you. That became my strength during difficult moments.
As I grew older, I began to understand that the challenges in my community were not only about poverty, but also about the environment we lived in. Clean water was not always available, and many families relied on unsafe water sources and long-established sanitation practices. Illness was common, yet often linked to environmental conditions people did not fully understand. I also experienced this myself when I had my first menstrual period and thought I was seriously ill, simply because no one had ever explained it to me in a safe or supportive environment.
About Naw Paw
- Age: 22
- Ethnicity: Karen
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Mae Fah Luang University
- Bachelor’s, Environmental Health
- 1st Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Work for an NGO serving migrant and border communities
- Spend more time in the mountains
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $1,500
- Amount Left To Fund: $1,500
- Contract Duration: 10 years
- Status: In School
These experiences pushed me to act. I volunteered as an English–Karen interpreter during medical outreach visits, helping doctors explain hygiene and disease prevention to villagers. I also taught English to displaced children in Karen State, encouraging them to continue learning despite hardship. Later, as Vice-President at Minmahaw Higher Education Program, I helped student health and dormitory hygiene, learning how living conditions directly affect wellbeing.
Today, I continue this work through an internship at Suwannimit Foundation, supporting migrant and displaced communities along the border. In the Women and Child Protection program, I see how environmental conditions such as water quality, sanitation, nutrition, and housing directly shape people’s health and dignity.
This is why I want to study Environmental Health at Mae Fah Luang University. I want to understand how environmental conditions affect health and learn how to develop practical solutions that improve living conditions in underserved communities.
After graduation, I hope to work with organizations serving migrant and border communities, gaining experience in environmental health before returning to Karen State. My goal is to help address issues such as unsafe water, poor sanitation, and preventable disease, so that health is no longer determined by where people are born.
When I look back, I see not a smooth journey, but one shaped by distance, loss, and responsibility. I have learned that education is not only for myself, it is a responsibility I carry for others.
If I am given the opportunity to continue my studies, I will use it to return, to serve, and to help build healthier and safer environments for communities like the one that raised me.
Written by Naw Paw with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Naw Paw
“[My mother] told me something I will never forget: education is the only inheritance I can give you. That became my strength during difficult moments.”
