A Kayan women's journey full of bravery.

There are some people whose courage and resilience are so inspiring that change our lives and help us connecting us with our inner strength. This story is about a Kayan women's journey full of bravery. Bravery is about how we rebuild our lives after hardship and find hope and meaning even in the most difficult situations. But bravery can be found also, in everyday acts of courage, and how we share with others who we really are.

Masu is from the Kayan Tribe, nestled deep within the Karenni State of Myanmar. Masu and her family had a life woven from simple joys – cultivating fields, weaving intricate patterns, singing songs that echoed through generations, and celebrating life in harmony with nature. But peace was shattered by civil war, forcing them to flee their homeland, leaving behind the only life they had ever known.

The journey was fraught with peril. Masu crossed treacherous borders with her husband and her two youngest children, leaving behind their eldest oldest daughter who stayed in Myanmar to take care of her elder grandmother who did not have the health and physical strength to pass the border. For Masu's family this was painful, too painful, but it was the only way of giving a future to their younger children.

The echoes of war followed them, news of airstrikes raining down on their homeland, leaving Masu and her family in constant fear for their loved ones. In fact, Myanmar Kayah State (formerly Karenni State), where Masu's daughter lives with her grandmother, has been one of the most affected by airstrikes targeting schools and civilians alike, since the 2021 civil war started.

When Masu and her family arrived at Northern Thailand, they lived in a Kayan village. Tourism villages were created for Kayan refugees by the Thai government and centered around the Kayan women's brass coil tradition. Some Kayan people's rights were conditioned to live in these tourism-based villages and use the brass coil. Some reporters described these villages as human zoos triggered by a tourism industry that objectify people and pursue only profits and that reduces culture to spectacle. The truth is that these villages still exist and a lot of Kayan people depend on the tourism here for selling their arts and crafts because is the only source of income they are allowed. The weight of this reality pressed down on Masu, but she refused to be defined by it and after living for a while in one of these villages decided to move on.

Her family was permitted to stay in Thailand but had no means to pay for essentials. Then a spark of hope, she met generous people committed to make a sustainable change for the Kayan tribe and other tribes in Northern Thailand. She met Amnuay and the Northern Thailand HillTribe sustainable tour company, so in collaboration with them they set up a homestay, a sanctuary where travelers could experience the true essence of Kayan culture – not as a spectacle, but as a shared human experience.

For Masu and her family, the war took their home and their safety, but it also tore them apart. Nevertheless, Masu decided to use their voice for change, and she created a homestay to share with other human beings that a real home is where the heart is. Her homestay is the most magical place if you visit Thailand; surrounded by nature, and in front of a sky full of stars that appear to shine a little brighter, you are reminded about the power of human connection. She and her family share a bit of their culture through music, food, and art. Masu's generosity is abundant, her love for life is contagious, and when she smiles, you can see that she has been so resilient and brave because she is full of hope.

But Masu wants to extend her generosity to others, so she along with her family and friend Amnuay decided to start building an Education, Community and Cultural Center that will be opened to Karen, Kayan and other hilltribes as a platform for collaboration, learning and to share their culture with the rest of the world in a more authentic way, while preserving their heritage. We are helping them, and you can know more about this project and how to get involved in our Bridges section. Sadly, in recent weeks Masu had to go to help her daughter and very sick mother-in-law to Myanmar facing the uncertainty and danger of the civil war.  Her youngest children stayed in Thailand and Masu will be back if her mother-in-law is stabilized. But is in her honor that we have continue building the Education and Cultural Center.

Masu's story is a testament to the enduring human spirit. It's a story of resilience, of finding hope in the darkest of times, of using your voice to build a better future, even when the world seems to be falling apart. It's a story that reminds us that even in the face of immense suffering, the human capacity for love, compassion, and hope remains unbroken. All of us, as human beings will face hardships. But is how we find the strength to keep going what will define our bravery. Hope is an essential factor when we want to transform our voice and make a stand for building change.