Moe Set arrived in Ranong from Dawei, Myanmar, as a migrant worker in 2007. She got married to a fisherman.

In 2009 she found out that she was HIV positive and she was two months pregnant that time. She went for HIV treatment and underwent the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMCT). The doctor and nurses encouraged her to ask the husband for HIV test but he refused to go for HIV test and treatment.

When the baby was born they went back to Myanmar. After two years, the husband became very weak. He was very sick, and he passed away. She felt alone and afraid. She shared her status to her families, neighbors and friends, but their response was not pleasing to her. Instead of being consoled by them, she felt discouraged. They told her that like her husband she would also die very soon. It was so depressing for her. She felt hopeless.

Nobody was there to support her and to help her. One day, when she looked at her little daughter, it came to her mind that she needed to be alive for her daughter. She became hopeful. She believed that she would not die very soon.

She asked her mother to look after her daughter and she came back to Ranong to work. It was not easy for her to be far away from her daughter. She worked very hard and sacrificed many things to achieve her dream that before she dies she could do something for the future of her daughter. She wanted to have a house in Myanmar for her daughter.

While in Ranong she tried to do any work and she worked very hard to try and stay healthy. It was a challenge for her financially because she he had to save money to buy ARV drugs (HIV medication). In March 2011, she met the Marist Mission Health Team members at the hospital. They assisted her not just financially to buy the drugs but also to belong to a group where she can share and find more support and encouragement.

Several years have passed now but she still stays healthy with the right medical treatment. She was able to build her own house in Myanmar. Her daughter is now 15 years old and now studying at high school. Her dreams and hopes continue on. She would love to see her daughter graduate from university to achieve a brighter future.

For Moe Set, it was her daughter who gave her hope to live. She said the there is always a reason to live and to hope.

Each day the HIV Health Team from the Marist Asia Foundation accompany some of the poorest of the Burmese Migrants in Ranong who seek to live and hope for a brighter future. A common story of poverty, migration to Thailand, lack of knowledge and desperate living conditions, are the root cause of many young women now living with HIV AIDS.

Sadly, only 13 Burmese Migrants are in Thai Secondary Schools in Ranong. Without education of Migrant Children the poverty cycle continues.

Below is a glimpse of the lives of our Burmese teenagers overcoming extreme obstacles to get an education. Knowing our students stories inspires us to be better teachers for them.

I am Chit Wai Aung.  I come from Myanmar but I live in Ranong for six years already. 

I want to be educated and be a good teacher.  I believe that if I have better education I can improve my life with my family from poverty.  

As a teacher, I want to help other children to have a good education.  I don’t want other children to suffer as I suffer of poverty because of no education.

I am very happy to study with Marist Asia foundation.  I hope to finish the 4 year secondary education programme despite my family and financial difficulties. 

My family and I experience suffering because of poverty.  I was separated with my parents as a child for seven years.  I stayed with other children with my grandmother in Myeik, Myanmar.  

In Myeik I walked for two hours everyday to go to school.  Before and after the classes, I helped my grandma to sell flowers from our garden.  

My mother and father arrived in Ranong, Thailand 25 years ago.  My father died 10 years ago when I was 7 years old.  He was killed with other 12 fishermen while doing fishing in Myanmar water. I arrived in Ranong, Thailand on 2009 to be with my family.

I need to work to help my family income.  My mother and younger sister (14 years old) are working in octopus factory but the income is not yet enough to meet our basic needs. 

I go to school during the day. But I work also in octopus factory in night time from 10:00 pm to 1:00 am during the weekdays and a whole day in the weekends for four years already.

I believe that the school of Marist Asia foundation can help to achieve my dreams in life.  After finishing my education, I hope to go back to Bang Non Learning Centre to teach the small children there.

To read of more stories of our Burmese Migrants in Ranong click here

I am Let Let Win.  I am from Myanmar but I have never been to my country.  I was born and grew up in Ranong, Thailand.  I am now 16 years old.  My parents come from Southern Myanmar.

I am the eldest among the four siblings.  I take care of my two younger sisters and one brother because my parents are away from Ranong.  My parents work in another city as carpenters in building construction. I have to take care of my younger siblings. I have to be their mother because my parents are not with us.

They left me and other siblings in the family with a friend in Ranong.  I have been away from my parents since I was seven years old. It is difficult to be away from my parents.  I miss them a lot.  I only meet them once a year for one day or a few days. I hope we can live together as family. 

I want to be in school.  I want to study and learn more. Before my parents asked me to leave school so that I can work and be able to support more finance to my family.  They told if I don’t leave school my younger sister has to leave school because of financial problem.  I told my parents that we should go to school and I will have part time job to have more income.  During school holidays, I work in restaurant as waiter and cleaner.

I want to be an actress but I know it is not possible.  But I really want to get a better and higher education so that I can get a better job.  Then I can help my younger siblings and my parents. I study with Marist Asia Foundation to get better and higher education. 

I want to study and finish ACU Online Diploma programme.  I want my parents to be happy and proud of my educational achievement.  I want to show to my parents the photos of my graduation, sign of success and achievement.

Support a Burmese Migrant Child with an education. 70 cents a day. Click here for information: Small Change – Big Difference 

For more stories from our Burmese Migrants in Ranong click Marist Asia Foundation Stories 2015