My name is Zu Zan. I come from the Lahu minority group, which resides in eastern Shan State, Myanmar. My sister and I were raised by our single mother, a public school teacher earning less than $100 a month. Despite completing high school in 2018, I was unable to pursue further education at home because of financial limitations.
In 2019, I was admitted to the Social Justice Education Program (SJEP) offered by the School for Shan State Nationalities Youth in Chiang Mai. The program covered IT, the environment, human rights, and politics. My interest in computer software grew significantly during this time, prompting me to pursue further study in the field. After completing the SJEP in May 2019, I enrolled in the BEAM Education Foundation‘s GED courses to prepare for university studies.
In June 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to return to Myanmar, where I found myself unable to re-enter Thailand. I continued my GED courses online and worked as office staff to support myself and my family. Due to political changes in Myanmar, I was unable to sit the GED exam there. In June 2022, I traveled back to Thailand using my limited savings to take the exam, and in December 2022 I passed.
To save money for university, I worked as a waitress at a Turkish restaurant in Thailand. Despite my efforts, I still needed additional financial support, which led me to apply for a Zomia loan.
Through my experiences working at the Myanmar Red Cross Society, Paragu Clinic, and LYDO, I developed a deeper understanding of the gaps in communication and knowledge-sharing that hold Myanmar back. I want to address these through software.
About Zu Zan
- Age: 24
- Ethnicity: Lahu
- Country: Myanmar
School & Program
- Chiang Mai University
- Bachelor’s, Software Engineering
- 3rd Year in Program
Goals & Dreams
- Become a software programmer
- Create a language translation app
- Travel to Israel
Loan Details
- Loan Amount: $2,625
- Amount Left To Fund: $2,275
- Contract Duration: 11 years
- Status: In School
My plans include an emergency app that allows disaster victims and relief groups to communicate and share locations, photos, and videos in real time; a multi-ethnic language translation app to bridge communication between doctors and ethnic patients, with health education video content; and a capacity-building app offering free computer skills and basic English classes for young people in Myanmar who lack access to these resources.
Developing these applications requires the software engineering skills I am committed to gaining at Chiang Mai University. I believe that with my education and Zomia’s support, I can bring meaningful change to Myanmar.
Written by Zu Zan with editing assistance from Holland, one of Zomia’s volunteer editors.
Zu Zan
“I believe that with my education and Zomia’s support, I can bring meaningful change to Myanmar. ”