Muangi

'My ultimate dream is to become an optometrist'

I arrived in Malaysia with my family in 2010, when I was only 13 years old. Five years later, I enrolled in a refugee school where I learned English and other subjects. It was a good education, except the fact that I have no exposure to local Malaysian communities. Our restricted mobility (as we often faced with the risks of getting caught by police), compounded with language barriers, are making our efforts to integrate with the locals much harder.

Despite these circumstances, I am grateful to still have my family around me. The most influential person in my life is my mother. Her resilience and willpower to overcome many challenges to raise our family here in Malaysia is something I admire.

My ultimate dream is to become an optometrist. But as a refugee in Malaysia with no access to higher education, that dream has to be put on hold.

Another of my dreams is to help refugees around the world, which is a fulfilling pursuit. Currently, I work as the Operation Manager at Mang Tha, where we design and produce products with traditional Chin fabrics.