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STORIES
Vietnam : Mi Aye Hla ' s Story
My name is Mi Aye Hla , I am 65 years old . I come from Myanmar where I witnessed fighting , heard shooting and saw people die in front of me . My sleep is still tormented by those visions and nightmares . Even during the day time , I feel scared and want to shout loudly to release my fear . More than that , when I think about my past experiences , I always cry because I feel afraid of the war .
I arrived to Umpiem temporary shelter in 2007 with my only son . I am an elderly widow so my son has to look after me and take care of our income . He is now 20 years but has started working since the age of 15 . When I arrived to Umpiem , the Section Leader informed the camp-based hospital about my conditions and a Psychosocial Worker ( PSW ) visited me at my house . Later on , the PSW referred me to Humanity & Inclusion ( HI ).
After HI staff visited me , I was enrolled on their beneficiary names list and was introduced to a group of people with disabilities called Self Help Group ( SHG ) by HI , became a member and participated in their activities . Before becoming a member of the SHG , I felt lonely and demotivated about everything . Now , I feel better because I met with a group of people who share the same feelings and experiences like me .
HI supported me in many ways with my health issues and to improve my livelihood . SHG visits me very often and provides me peer counselling because when I am alone , I feel lonely and start thinking about my past experiences in Myanmar .
This has become even more difficult with the COVID-19 pandemic . Luckily before this outbreak , HI referred me to another organization to attend a training on gardening . During the camp lockdown , HI gave me vegetable seeds and some flowers ( mainly rose ) plants . Thanks to this support , I have become more skillful with the planting of vegetables and flowers . I keep myself busy with my garden so I do not have time to feel stressed or lonely . Gardening makes me feel happier and healthier than before .
Thus , I have to say thank you so much to HI and the SHG for making my life better .