Gayhtoo Thaw

Gayhtoo Thaw was born and raised in Karen State, in southeastern Burma. In 1993, it became unsafe for her parents to live and work in Burma and for Gaytoo and her siblings to receive a proper education under the rule of the Burmese military government. Gaytoo, her mother, and siblings fled, leaving behind all of their belongings. They traveled by night, hiding from Burmese military and border police along the way. At the end of their journey, the family resettled in Mae La Refugee Camp along the Thai-Burma border. For the next 15 years, that was their home. They felt safe in the camp, but life wasn’t easy. The major challenge was for the children to get a good education. Gayhtoo and her siblings were fortunate. They were offered an opportunity to attend a school started by a volunteer from Australia: Eden Valley Academy. This experience transformed her life, as the teacher who started the Academy set a great example of providing good education to children from all different ethnic backgrounds: Karen, Burman, Indian, Thai, Hmong, among others, all living and working in harmony. In 2008, Gayhtoo and her family resettled in the United States. There were many challenges, the greatest being learning how to navigate the social services. Since resettling in Seattle, Gayhtoo has helped other newly arrived refugees to adjust to their new communities and life in the U.S. Today, Gayhtoo is a Case Manager with the Refugee and Immigrant Services Center at Jewish Family Services. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Coalition for Refugees from Burma (www.allburmarefugees.org). World Refugee Day is meaningful to Gayhtoo as she feels it is important for others to be aware of the plight of refugees and provide support.