saw aung htet oo's storyHi! I am Aung Htet Oo, a final year nursing student in Chiang Mai University.
I was born in a small village in Karen State of Myanmar. We lived under the constant fear of armed conflicts and fled countless of times. Education was also rare and expensive. My parents wished that I could nonetheless become an educated and useful person – as my mother used to say “I cannot give you much but I hope you can go to school. Don’t be uneducated like me.” Hence, when I was 10, my parents sent me to the Mae La refugee camp where there were schools for refugees which charged low school fees. I followed my aunt and hiked over mountains for three days to reach Mae La camp. It was painful to be separated from my family, but I was grateful that I could continue my secondary education in peace. After obtaining the General Education Diploma, an internationally recognized diploma, I was accepted by Chiang Mai University. I had long aspired to become a nurse. Since I was young, I had a weak physique and easily fell sick. This was a nightmare in a small village like mine where there was no clinic. Every fever, infection, or injury led to long sleepless nights for myself and my parents. We could do nothing but to pray for my recovery. The apprehension that shrouded our home still haunts me to this date. I understood from these frequent unhappy experiences that health was essential to happiness. I felt a strong calling to work in healthcare and to improve people’s health. I believe that the happiness that I create for people would be like a radiant sun that spreads happiness to my heart. After graduation, I will work as a nurse at the NGOs which offer medical assistance to refugees in the Thai-Myanmar border. A few years after that, I wish to return to Myanmar and qualify as a nurse. My ultimate goal is to open a clinic in my hometown. Knowing that there are ill people who do not have access to treatment is the worst and scariest thing that one could think of. Therefore, I will do everything that I can to move closer to my goal. |
About Saw Aung Htet Oo
- Age: 25 - Ethnicity: Karen - Place of birth: Karen State, Myanmar School & Programme - Chiang Mai University - Nursing Science - Third year in his programme Goals and Dreams - Qualify as a nurse - Open a clinic in his hometown |
