Now I Am Seen: Saud's Journey From Fleeing Myanmar to Pursuing Medicine

15 April 2026

Escaping a Life of Fear

When Saud was just nine years old, his life changed forever.

Forced to flee Myanmar with his mother, he left behind everything he had ever known. Villages were burning. Lives were being lost. Fear became part of everyday life.

With only a small amount of food and clothes packed for the journey, mother and son escaped by boat, hoping to find safety.

They were told the journey would take one week.

Instead, it lasted nearly a month.

The food ran out quickly. Hunger and uncertainty followed them across the sea. Whenever Saud cried from thirst, his mother would ask the boat agents for water. But instead of compassion, his mother was met with violence.

“As she asked multiple times from them, she was beaten,” Saud recalled.

Helpless and terrified, he could only cry and wonder if they would ever be safe again.

Waiting for a Chance
Saud’s father had already fled to Malaysia years earlier, when Saud was only a few weeks old. The hope of seeing his father again and simply surviving kept him going.

But arriving in Malaysia did not mean life suddenly became easier.

There were days when the family did not have enough food. There were no books to read, no classroom to sit in, and no opportunity to study.

While other children moved forward with their education, Saud felt invisible and left behind.

The trauma of everything he had experienced made him quiet and withdrawn.

For years, he waited for an opportunity that seemed impossible.

The Opportunity That Changed Everything
Then one day, Saud finally received a place to study at Dignity.

Among his five siblings, he was the only one attending school. Through the Empower a Child sponsorship programme, the financial burden on his family was eased, opening the door to an education they once thought was out of reach.

For the first time, Saud entered a real classroom offering IGCSE education to refugee children.

“For the first time, I could imagine a future,” he shared.

When his parents heard the news, they were overwhelmed with joy.

To them, Dignity was not just a school.

It was hope.

They dreamed that one day, their son could pursue a future in the medical field — a future far beyond the suffering they had endured.

A Second Chance to Keep Going
But healing and rebuilding were not easy.

The struggles at home, the emotional weight of the past, and the pressures of school often became overwhelming. Yet instead of pushing him away when he struggled, the teachers at Dignity drew closer.

“They were patient with me,” Saud said. “When I wasn’t ready, they did not scold me or push me away.”

Instead, they gave him something life rarely had before: time, understanding, and a second chance.

When Saud struggled academically, the school allowed him to repeat Year 11.

His teachers stayed back after school to help him understand lessons. When his home environment was too difficult for studying, they allowed him to remain in school where it was safe and quiet.

And when his family faced hardship, Dignity’s welfare team stepped in with food support and encouragement.

“For the first time in a long time, we felt like we were not fighting alone.”

More Than Just Education
One memory still stays with Saud deeply.

A teacher, Mr. Guan, once visited his home just to bring him out to buy a pair of football shoes because he did not own any.

Until today, it remains his only pair.

“But to me, it was more than shoes,” Saud said. “It was someone telling me, without words, that I mattered.”

That care changed the way he saw himself.

His teachers saw potential in him long before he could see it in himself. Through their encouragement, he completed his IGCSE despite the stereotypes often placed on refugees.

From Survival to Confidence
Today, Saud no longer sees himself as the frightened child who fled across the sea unsure if he would survive.

Dignity became more than a school.

It became the place where he felt seen, supported, and cared for during some of the hardest moments of his life.

“That kind of care changes a person,” he shared. “It changed me.”

For many like Saud, education isn’t just a privilege, it’s a lifeline. Sponsor a child today and be a part of their journey. Together, we can create a world where every child has the opportunity to flourish.

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About Dignity

Our work began in 1998 in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur with only 20 students then. Dignity is now a learning centre with more than 2,300 children ranging from 2-19 years old.