By Lucy McCray | CEO
Friends,
When I met Misu earlier this year, I was struck by her big smile, and blown away by her English language abilities. She confidently bantered with me in her third language, which she told me she learned on YouTube (can you imagine?)!
She opened up during our time together, sharing that her parents' divorce had created a huge amount of instability in her life. Her father’s friends harassed her and he struggled with substance abuse. Meanwhile, her mother has some health issues that require her to go to the hospital multiple times a week. Misu moved in and out of children's homes growing up, increasing the instability in her life, before she finally moved in with her mother.
Misu is naturally introverted. Her turbulent childhood pushed her to turn further inward. She was the subject of intense bullying by her peers for her love of anime and other languages. This left her feeling incredibly isolated.
To make things worse, Misu is stateless, meaning she doesn’t have citizenship anywhere, including in Thailand, the only place she’s ever lived. This is one of the highest risk factors for trafficking because it limits her access to healthcare, restricts travel, limits the jobs she can hold in the future, and most critically, prevents her family from owning their home.
We saw how this background put Misu at huge risk, and brought her into our programs, where we’ve seen her thrive. She was once so shy it was hard for her to speak up, but now, with the encouragement of The Freedom Story staff, Misu has developed the confidence to share her story and even mentor younger students. “I used to be incredibly shy,” Misu admitted. “But now I’ve gained more confidence in myself. I’m really happy to be part of something that contributes to society.”
We’ve also seen Misu’s relationship with her mother change from one of stress and tension to one of love and care. Through activities with The Freedom Story, Misu and her mother learned to communicate more openly. Now, they talk about everything—both light-hearted topics and serious issues—with her mother listening and speaking more kindly. “She used to speak harshly to me,” Misu explained, “but now she listens first and speaks kindly, which makes me so happy.”
Earlier this year, at our family camp, I saw firsthand that a social worker from the Provincial Women and Children’s Shelter picked out Misu and her mother as a family that clearly had a close and open relationship. She saw this from their behavior and body language at the camp. Misu and her mother shared a sweet smile when this happened.
Despite this incredible progress, Misu remains very at risk. This is even more true now, as in September she and her mother were heavily impacted by the flooding in Chiang Rai. They barely had time to escape with one motorcycle and the clothes on their backs. The rest—furniture, clothing, appliances, the water pump for their running water—were damaged beyond repair. Left with no choice, they had to relocate and start over in a new home.
Your support ensured that we could intervene to ensure that Misu and her mother could restart in a safe, clean, and stable environment. We’ve helped them repurchase clothes, appliances, and furniture and pay rent while they get back on their feet.
Your generosity makes this all possible and we are so thankful to be supporting students like Misu together.
By Lucy McCray | CEO
By Lucy McCray | CEO
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