My name is Si, and I am Karen and Burmese. I was born in Yangon and am the eldest of two children. My father was a carpenter, and my mother worked two jobs to support our family — during the day in a garment factory and at night in a noodle shop.
We lived together in Thailand until my parents were scammed and lost all their savings. In 2004, my brother and I moved to Yangon for our education, where I attended a government school. Later, I moved to Mandalay to prepare for the matriculation exam. Unfortunately, I did not pass, and I felt as though my dream of attending university had fallen apart.
I never lost hope. I reconnected with a teacher at the Minmahaw Higher Education Program in Mae Sot, Myanmar], who advised me to take the GED test to continue my education. In 2018, I left Yangon with my brother and sat the entrance exam for GED study, but I was not accepted. Around that time, my parents divorced due to financial difficulties and other pressures.
I lived with my mother and witnessed her struggles to support us and pay off family debts. She sold mohinga for income, and while I wanted to help her, she insisted that education was more important for my future, our family’s future, and our country. She sent me to study Grade 12 at Children’s Development Centre in Mae Sot.
In 2019, I tried again for the GED entrance exam at BEAM Education Foundation in Chiang Mai and was accepted, bringing me a step closer to my dreams. While studying at BEAM, I volunteered as a teacher for seven months at a Myanmar monastery serving as a study center for Shan migrant children, teaching Math and Burmese.
About Si
- Age: 25
- Ethnicity: Burmese, Karen
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Mae Fah Luang University
- Bachelor’s, Business Administration
- Graduated
Goals & Dreams
- Become an entrepreneur
- Travel to China
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $4,200
- Amount Left To Fund: $3,975
- Contract Duration: 12 years
- Status: In Grace Period
During the COVID-19 quarantine, I taught Burmese to a Canadian friend working with migrants at Free Burma Rangers, and joined the BEAM staff team to make masks and hand sanitizer for migrants in Chiang Mai. In July 2020, I completed the GED program and received my certificate.
After my Thai student visa expired, I returned to Yangon, where I have been caring for my grandfather while searching for work in a difficult economic environment. Despite these challenges, nothing will stop my dream of completing a university degree and becoming an entrepreneur who supports migrant communities along the Thai-Myanmar border. I am adaptable and determined, unafraid of failure, and I will keep trying until I succeed.
Written by Si with editing assistance from Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Si
“My mother insisted that education was more important for my future, our family’s future, and our country.”
Thaw Zin, Instructor at GED Training Center
“A friendly, helpful, and active young man throughout his student life.”
