Dingo's story

Fleeing to Thailand

Hi, I am Dingo! I was born in Loikaw, Myanmar and is Shan by ethnicity. My family and I relocated to Mae La Camp, a refugee camp along the Thai-Burma border in 2008 as my family were living and financial issues then and we have been staying there for 10 years ever since.

By the time I arrived in Thailand, I haven't completed my high school studies yet and therefore continued so at Anglican Language and Computer Centre (ALCC) in the camp. I then obtained a Diploma in Liberal Studies in Australian Catholic University through a combination of online and face-to-face lessons and graduated in the year 2013. After graduation, I spent 4-5 years working in various INGOs, including Save the Children, Burma Link and Human Rights Watch conducting translation work and other administrative duties.

My interest in social entrepreneurship and friendship with Connecting Myanmar

I have always been interested in creating social change via conducting sustainable and responsible businesses. The notion of social entrepreneurship in particular intrigues me much. In the year of 2018, I got an offer from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) to study Business Management. While I very much wish to take up the offer, I struggled to obtain financial support for my studies. And it was at that time that I turned to Connecting Myanmar for their support.

My story with Connecting Myanmar traced back to the summer of 2011 when volunteers from the University of Hong Kong came taught English at ALCC. There I met Patricia, who now is one of the co-founders of Connecting Myanmar and subsequently, got introduced to Edward, Rose and many others involved in the organization. It did not take long before we became friends and what Connecting Myanmar does right now continues to be a positive motivation to me to turn dreams of serving the underprivileged into practical reality.

Thanks to Connecting Myanmar, I now am a Year 2 student to-be at UTCC and within a year, I have been to various places around the world, including Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Laos, Hong Kong and the United States joining different student exchange programs, acting as ASEAN ambassador, taking part in business competitions and attending courses abroad together with students from Myanmar, India, South Africa, China and many more.

My aspiration

I wish to set up my own social enterprise one day – using what I have learnt at school and the experience I have gained throughout the years to create a better living place for my community and people in Myanmar!
About Dingo
- Age: 23
- Ethnicity: Shan
- Place of Birth: Loikaw
​
School & Programme
​- University of the Thai Chamber of  Commerce (UTCC)
- Bachelor's, Business Management
​- 2nd Year in Programme

Goals & Dreams
- Set up his own social enterprise
- Create a better living place for his community

Interesting facts about Dingo
Q: If you have a superpower, what would that be?
A: I would like to be like Flash who can travel quickly, accomplishing a lot in a short time – and of course, to meet up with my friends around the world in a second.
 
Q: What’s next on your bucket list?
A: To be able to speak Thai and Chinese very fluently!
I have known Dingo since 2011. He has always been self-motivated. Even in the most difficult times, he never gave up his dream of getting tertiary education. I was so amazed when he told me he had taught himself English by reading books borrowed from the library of a refugee camp in order to pass the entrance test of a school. With perseverance and courage, he always chooses to step out of his comfort zone and grow."

- Patricia Chen, former teacher of Dingo from HKU​, coordinator of Connecting Myanmar