Dream Of Stateless Children
training course at a youth organization called Shan Youth Power. This made me happy because I believe that technology and computers are very important to every day life. I decided to enroll in Shan Youth Power’s computer class. Everyday at 5 PM I left work and rode my bike for 45 minutes from Saraphi to Chiang Mai. I had to hurry to make the class in time, and didn’t have time to eat dinner or shower after work. I was worried that leaving at 5 PM could affect my job. I was also worried about driving home alone at night. I was scared, but it was worth it to learn computers and continue my education. I remember in grade 10 in Shan State, I was a Distance Learner. I attended after-school class to practice my essay-writing – and my teacher didn’t believe in me. Learning at Shan Youth Power showed me that there are two types of teachers: teachers who don’t believe in you and teachers who do. The teachers at Shan Youth Power were the second type of teacher – they not only believed in me but gave me a second chance. There are many Shan people who still do not know how to use computers and many migrants in Thailand who can’t read, even in their own language. Most migrant workers have to use their energy to work and don’t have time to learn to read. In the village near my workplace most children don’t go to school. Some parents need their children to help them generate an income, so their children are unable to attend school and educate themselves. Few people in Thailand care about the Shan people or have been working to help them improve their conditions. But I am not one of these people. Today, I believe I am lucky. I finally have a 10-year ID card. And it is my dream to bring the knowledge I’ve gathered here to my hometown in Shan State to teach students what I’ve learned. I hope one day the children in my community will be able to read and will have a new library and access to books and opportunities they don’t currently have. But right now I have Shan Youth Power to thank for providing us Shan migrant people with an education and a future. And I want to thank them for believing in me. 49