The lost boy finds his future

Mardi 10 février 2015 - 07:30

Myo, 17, who lost his left hand in an accident, is now a swimming champion. He represents his country – Myanmar and won one silver and two bronze medals in swimming at the ASEAN Para game 2014 held in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar.

Myo’s story is one of hardship, determination and triumph. As a child, Myo lived in a village in the southern part of Myanmar. Every day, the boy and his father caught a bus to go to town to sell vegetables.

One day, an eight-year-old Myo, while playing with friends accidently jumped on to the bus and reached the town without his father. Feeling lost, the boy decided the best way home was to catch a train. But Myo boarded the wrong train, one headed to Mandalay, a town in the central part of Myanmar which was a totally strange place to him.

When he arrived, Myo didn’t have any money. And didn’t know who to ask for help. He didn’t know how he could get back home. He stayed at the Mandalay train station with a group of children like him. The train station was the only shelter for them – it was a place where they played, ate and slept.

Four months had passed, and Myo heard that there was a centre where children like him were cared for and provided education. However, Myo dared not to go.

“I was afraid to go there because I heard that some boys were trafficked,” recites Myo.

“Some boys went to that center and returned with new clean shirts and Thanakar (a wood paste that Myanmar people especially children and women wear both as sunblock and like natural makeup ) on their face. They said, they had a chance to watch TV as well,” 

“We were shouted at, when we watched the TV shown at the teashops. Police often arrested us,” recalls Myo.

Having a desire to stay under care and learn, Myo went to the World Vision drop-in-center. Myo stayed at the hostel for eight months.

“While staying in the hostel, the older boys were teasing me and I cursed back to them. So, I was seen as a naughty boy and not chosen to go to school,” says Myo.

Disappointed of not being chosen for school, Myo ran away from the hostel. He returned to life back on the streets again.

“The teacher came and talked to me to return but I didn’t go with her. After that, my life was so hard that I sometimes had to beg for food,” Myo recalls.

To earn a little money to survive, Myo and the children like him collected plastic bottles. They lived dangerously, often playing on top of moving trains.

But one day, Myo fell.

“As I jumped from one carriage to another, I was hit by the tree branch above the train and fell off the train and knew nothing. When I regained consciousness, I was already in the hospital with bandages all over my body,” remembered Myo.

“My teacher from World Vision came to visit me once she knew about this. She cried as she saw me with very bad injuries.”

Myo lost his left arm, right foot palm, some fingers and toes.

After discharged from the hospital, Myo was taken to World Vision skills hostel for vocational training. Still, he was not happy. He managed to sneak out. He met with a tea shop owner who gave him a job to clean bathrooms and toilets.

“I stayed there and received 15,000 ks (about 15.5 USD) as a monthly salary. The boss was kind so I stayed there for one year. He knew that I was from World Vision hostel,”

“The teacher from World Vision didn’t give up and came to me again. This time they consulted me whether I was interested in sports introduced me to try sports.” “I tried several sports like footballs, track and field. Finally, I’ve tried swimming and success in it,”

Myo continued to stay with to his former boss at the tea shop. He gained trust from his boss and later the boss made him in-charge of other tea shops. “I cried of happiness when I was promoted as a shop-in-charge and got 50,000 ks (about 52 USD) a month. I could not believe it,” Myo says.

While working there, Myo studied and also practiced swimming. He studied up to grade 8. Although he stayed outside, Myo has had constant communications with World Vision staff in Mandalay where he received guidance and encouragement to continue his life. 

In 2011, He was selected as a competitor to represent Myanmar in 2011 ASEAN Para games in Indonesia. He won three medals.

Again in October 2013 at the para game in Malaysia where under 21 of age disabled persons from 42 countries participated, Myo represented Myanmar and won two gold medals.

As a champion for Myanmar, Myo participated in ASEAN Para game held in Nay Pyaw Taw Myanmar in January 2014 and again won three medals (one silver and two bronze).

“I am very happy that I can represent Myanmar. I will try hard until I become a trainer and a coach. I will encourage the disabled children like me and nurture them to be champions,” Myo mentions.

“World Vision is like my parents. If my teacher would not have cared for me whenever I ran away from the hostel, I would not have become a champion. I would end up wild, shy and lacking behind. I mentioned World Vision whenever I was interviewed,” Myo smiles. 

“Before I became disabled, I never thought of my future. Only when I lost my arm, I felt scared and started to think about it,” he says.
 
“I will never give up because of my physical disability. I will settle in Mandalay or Nay Pyi Taw. I will look for my parents and stay with them. This is my wish,” Myo demands.

“I really thank World Vision for helping and caring for street and poor children like me.”
 
Myo, once a boy on the street who later became disabled and lived in despair, now sees hopes for his future. No doubt, his enthusiasm will guide him.