By Sara Watson – Contributor

As the snow falls heavy outside the window and the student village looks a bit like a ghost town, I’ve decided to sit down and reflect upon an incredible experience that I was fortunate to have had, but have struggled a bit to share. 

Last semester, during what would have been the start to my final year of studies, I was in fact a world away, living in the small border town of Mae Sot, Thailand. I was there as a student volunteer for a community-based project, the Mae Sot Education Project (MSEP). During the three months that I spent in Thailand, I worked in three of the project’s partner schools, known locally as migrant learning centers. These learning centers are schools for children of Burmese migrant workers, a community making up more than half of Mae Sot’s population. In recent years, the political instability and ongoing civil war in Myanmar has resulted in more Burmese migrants and refugees fleeing across the border, thus increasing the diverse mix of students attending the schools. As many of these children and their families lack proper documentation and the language skills to attend the Thai schools, NGO-funded learning centers (where Burmese remains the primary language of instruction), are vital in keeping kids in school. 

While at these schools, I worked with over 200 different students, from elementary to high school level. It was undoubtedly a life-changing experience and taught me a lot about myself, my place in the world, and about opening my eyes to life from a vastly different perspective. Not much can truly prepare you for the experience of connecting with people from not only a different culture and religion, but also from life experiences so starkly unlike your own. At the time it was a lot to grasp and I simply enjoyed living the experience.

Now, several months after returning home, I find it difficult to process all that these interactions taught me. Coming from a country such as Canada to a border town with a community facing historical and ongoing internal displacement and migration – a result of political instability and civil war – was a culture shock, to say the least. The stories I heard from students, colleagues, and friends were often hard to imagine and difficult to absorb. Many had left their home country for their family’s safety, leaving behind loved ones, careers, dreams and a place they called home. 

Following the Myanmar coup d’état in 2021, numerous university students  joined the pro-democracy civil disobedience movement (CDM). Several of my older students had been involved in these demonstrations and fled for fear of arrest, torture, and even execution. One student told me how the military came to his home in the night searching for him and his younger brother. With just the bare minimum they could grab from their belongings, they were forced to run away, fleeing the city and into the jungle. Unfortunately the village where they sought safety soon fell into the crossfire between the military and insurgents. Along with the villagers, the student and his brother were forced to run again, this time making it across the river into Thailand. 

The people I connected with inspired me each day with their resilience, drive and ambition. The students I taught were truly amazing and inspiring individuals (despite at times being stubborn or goofy just like any other teenager!), gracing me each day with an eagerness to learn, engage and share. Although I was not very experienced, they were patient and understanding, truly shaping my experience into the amazing one it was. 

With some of my classes, I worked on several lessons inspired by Pete Seeger’s song “Turn! Turn! Turn!”. Although the lyrics could be at times tricky to grasp, they were eager to learn them and the messages they shared. This song led us to discussing the theme of peace, and through writing and art the students shared with me what peace meant to them and their hopes for the future of their country. I made colleagues and friends outside of school who also shaped my time in Mae Sot. Their generosity and the true friendships I made will never be forgotten. 

I often miss the people I left behind in Mae Sot, and the daily routine of biking past rice fields and market stalls to the different schools that became a bit like a home. I hope to return one day, and see where some of my students have ended up, hopefully attending schools or working the jobs they dream of.  Most importantly however, I hope that one day there will be a return to peace and democracy in Myanmar so that those that have been displaced can return and help rebuild the country they call their own. In the words of Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, there must be “a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.” The Grade 9-10 students could tell you all about it.