I Ne Meh’s Story, Thailand
Photo by UNHCR/S. Rich/2013.
When a community is faced with war and conflict, parents may feel the only chance to save their children is to send them unaccompanied to safety in another county. But the risks for unaccompanied children are great and terrible. I Ne Meh, a Child Protection Monitor in Thailand, helps to protect at risk Karen children:
I haven’t seen my parent in more than ten years. I was only 17 when they forced me to leave our homeland in Karen State, Myanmar. They convinced me to head to the refugee camps of Northern Thailand where they were certain I would find a better, safer future. My parents are still in Burma and I know they get questioned about where I have gone. They wanted me to leave as they did not want something bad to happen to me. At that time we had heard talk of forced labour and other bad things. The troops used to come to our village all the time and cause problems for us, like taking food, destroying things, and had done for many years. We were all very scared of them and what they might do, we we’re never really sure. Often we would have to just run and hide in the forest, especially us girls. I left with a group of teenagers from my village. We all walked together and it took around ten days. From our home it was a straight road to follow but we couldn’t take that straight path as they were watching and they would find us and then terrible things could happen.
Photo by UNHCR/S. Rich/2013.
It was 2003 when I reached the Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee camp in Northern Thailand. When I got here I was lonely and I missed my parents. I worried about them and even though it is safe here, I thought a lot about what I saw in Burma. I was just 17.
I heard I could go to school here and so I went to learn and try to finish some of my final years of education. I enjoyed school very much and this is also where I met my husband – he was also studying and supported me to finish high school. After three years here we got married. We are from different areas of Burma so I would not have met him if I hadn’t come here.
I have two young boys aged six and three, and I work as a Child Protection Monitor in the camp. I use the education I was given to help to protect other Karen children who are at risk. I now have been a child protection monitor for five years. I love my work here, I like helping children who are less happy than mine. It is hard life here so this is very good and important work here.
