Eh Ree's dream: Help a student from Myanmar complete her nursing degree

Growing up

My name is Naw Khin Oo but I am known as Eh Ree. I am 30 years old. I grew up in a small village in Karen state, eastern Burma, with my parents, younger sister and a younger brother who has Down Syndrome. We all lived in a tiny bamboo house with no electricity or running water. When I was young, I studied at the community school with 19 other children from my village.  I did my homework at night by the light of a burning log.  Many children in our village were afflicted by hygiene related diseases, food was scarce, and like other families in the region, my family suffered from malnutrition. My village has no access to primary healthcare and the nearest clinic is a full day’s walk away, so medical facilities are beyond our reach.

School

By the time I was 12, the decades-old civil war in Burma had reached my village, forcing my family to flee to Mae La Camp, the biggest camp for Karen refugees on the Thai-Burmese border. Due to overcrowding however we were all turned away. We had no choice but to eventually return to our village. Five years later, my parents sent me to the camp again so I could study at the Children’s Development Centre in Mae Sot, a school for migrant students.  Before transferring to Chiang Mai University in Thailand to receive my GED, like so many girls in my position, I left school to work in order to support my younger sister’s education and parents’ declining health.  I managed to get a job as a community healthcare worker, focusing on primary healthcare and family planning. I worked very hard for five years before I was able to return to my studies but it was an experience that confirmed my desire to help others. I vowed that one day I would return to my village as a nurse. 

On the path to nursing

In 2019 I started my nursing degree at Chiang Mai University, thanks to the sponsorship I received from Daughters Rising. (https://daughtersrising.org). My passion for nursing is deeply rooted in the challenges and traumatic experiences I faced when I was younger and the situations I witnessed other villages go through.  It is not uncommon for people to become seriously ill because there is no local treatment available. Common conditions can result in death if complications occur because it takes too long to reach the hospital. I know of pregnant mothers and their unborn babies who have passed away or women who have died during childbirth.  If there was a clinic and a nurse in our village this could be prevented. 

I love to study. I love to learn and I work very hard at my studies. I spend a lot of extra time in the library and try to learn as much as I can outside of my classes.  But because I am an overseas student in Thailand, I must study in my third and fourth languages which are English and Thai! (My first and second languages are Karen and Burmese.)  Study and exams are challenging for this reason but I am determined to succeed and each year my grades improve. I must succeed for my village so I can return and help them.

Life is a roller coaster! My mum taught me “never give up” and this advice always gives me the confidence, courage and determination to continue, even in very difficult situations. There are times when I almost gave up my studies or work due to family problems and financial difficulty but then I remember my mum’s words and I am able to calm myself down and strive harder.

Life is a roller coaster! My mum taught me “never give up” and this advice always gives me the confidence, courage and determination to continue, even in very difficult situations. There are times when I almost gave up my studies or work due to family problems and financial difficulty but then I remember my mum’s words and I am able to calm myself down and strive harder.

Studies continue final year.

I have started the first semester of the 4th  year nursing degree. I now need to raise funds for my monthly expenses for the academic year 2023-2024

Monthly expenses (Thai Baht):

Rent:                   3,000

Water:                   150

Internet:              100

Food/day:           150 x 30 days                                          Total:   ฿ 7,750

Academic 2023-2024 Starting June-April:77500Baht.

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CAN YOU HELP?

I desperately need your help in order to continue my nursing degree and realise my dream!

I know there are so many fundraisers out there, with many people and organisations in need of help. But if I can realise my dream and become a nurse this means I can then help many other people.  I will be able to lift my own family out of poverty whilst serving my community with a much-needed skill.  And hopefully, I can even save lives!

Thank you so much!

Eh Ree

HELP ME SAVE LIVES!