I was born and raised in Thailand refugee camp. Like most Karen families, my parents fled from Burma to Thailand to escape ethnic cleansing and the civil war. They settled in Mea Khong Kha camp in 1998, and I was born in the following year 1999.
In September 2002, Mea Khong Kha experienced a massive flash flood which destroyed the camp and forced the population to relocate to Mea La Oon. It's estimated that around 10, 020* people live in Mea La Oon and 99% of the population were Karen.
Most of my childhood memories were positive although reality of living in refugee camp is not convenient. As a child, I was thankful that I had a decent life and had great parents who did everything in their power to provide food and shelter for my sisters and I. …show more content…
Everyday she would spend about six to ten hours weaving for people or sell the clothes once it's beautifully made. My dad was mostly out in the woods haunting for food or go out to look for labor jobs outside the camp. (which was forbidden by the law but many people risk their lives to feed their families. ) There were no jobs available for anyone in the camp and it was also illegal to go work outside the camp, therefore women and children stays home while the men go out and look for jobs.
I started kindergarten at the age of five and already, I was experiencing physical abuse because I was stubborn. I learned it the hard way that laziness was not a option when it comes to school work and no matter how much I hated learning Burmese, my rebellion only led to more harm. The older I got, the more intense the school system became. The education system was so strict yet the only guarantee jobs after grade twelve was within the camp ( and the incomes were very low. ) Most people dropped out before finishing grade twelve and some managed to finish and became a teacher or a
In September 2002, Mea Khong Kha experienced a massive flash flood which destroyed the camp and forced the population to relocate to Mea La Oon. It's estimated that around 10, 020* people live in Mea La Oon and 99% of the population were Karen.
Most of my childhood memories were positive although reality of living in refugee camp is not convenient. As a child, I was thankful that I had a decent life and had great parents who did everything in their power to provide food and shelter for my sisters and I. …show more content…
Everyday she would spend about six to ten hours weaving for people or sell the clothes once it's beautifully made. My dad was mostly out in the woods haunting for food or go out to look for labor jobs outside the camp. (which was forbidden by the law but many people risk their lives to feed their families. ) There were no jobs available for anyone in the camp and it was also illegal to go work outside the camp, therefore women and children stays home while the men go out and look for jobs.
I started kindergarten at the age of five and already, I was experiencing physical abuse because I was stubborn. I learned it the hard way that laziness was not a option when it comes to school work and no matter how much I hated learning Burmese, my rebellion only led to more harm. The older I got, the more intense the school system became. The education system was so strict yet the only guarantee jobs after grade twelve was within the camp ( and the incomes were very low. ) Most people dropped out before finishing grade twelve and some managed to finish and became a teacher or a