KAREN WOMEN
Meet the Karen women behind Paw Po
Meet the Karen women
Hover over the images below to read the stories of the Karen women currently going through our program at Paw Po.
Ku Moo
Ku Moo was born in Burma and with her parents, 3 sisters and brother, escaped to the refugee camps when she was 17. Her family were afraid of the Burmese soldiers. Ku Moo studied for 3 years and then taught Maths and the Karen language. While in the camp she married and had 3 children. When the opportunity came to leave, Ku Moo chose Australia for its freedom and to improve her children’s future. They settled in Werribee for 3 and half years where Ku Moo studied English at AMES. When her husband got work at Luv-a-duck the family shifted to Nhill. As a result of learning to sew at the Nhill Learning Centre, Ku Moo recently bought her own sewing machine. She is happy to be in Australia and is not afraid anymore.
Ma
Ma was born in Burma and when 18, she followed her uncle to Mae La refugee camp and lived with him and her aunt. She looked after the pigs and chickens, grew vegetables and cooked for her family. She met and married her husband, built their own home and had 4 children in the refugee camp. In 2009 the family came to Australia so that their children could get a good education and a better life, and they could all enjoy rights and freedoms. They lived in Werribee for 2 years before shifting to Nhill for employment. Ma can perform traditional Karen dances and learnt to weave when she was 14. She has begun weaving on traditional type looms at the Nhill Learning Centre. She enjoys sewing, fishing and gardening at the Nhill Community Garden.
May
May was born in the Karen state in Burma. At the age of 36 she fled Burma with her husband and children to escape the cruelty of the Burmese soldiers who she believes poisoned and killed her young child. They fled to the Noh Poe refugee camp. The family came to Australia in 2009 and settled in Townsville. Recently May has shifted to Nhill with her daughter and youngest son to be with her other 3 sons who are working and living in Nhill. May likes the friendly people in Nhill and in her free time likes to garden - growing vegetables, lemon grass and flowers.
Moo Khu
Moo Khu was born in the Karen state in Burma. When she was 14 she left her parents and followed her aunt to Mae La refugee camp for education. She studied for one and a half years and lived in her aunt’s house where there were five families living together. She applied to come to Australia for a better future and a job. She came with her cousin’s family. Moo Khu settled in Werribee and studied Year 11 and 12. She married and had one son before her husband was offered a job on a duck farm in Nhill. They shifted to Nhill and Moo Khu is happy as Nhill reminds her of her village in Burma. She and her husband now have 3 children, are buying their own home and are happy to make their future in Nhill. In her free time she likes to crotchet and garden. In the future she wishes to have a job looking after the elderly. She hopes her children will get a good education and help others.
Hover over the images below to read the stories of the Karen women previously in our program at Paw Po.