It was not just an experience - it was a shift in perspective...

Reflection by Bianca

Spending the month of January volunteering with Imagine Thailand was not just an experience—it was a shift in perspective, a recalibration of what I thought I understood about resilience, privilege, and the realities that shape people’s lives.

We began our journey in Koh Yao Yai, working on clean water projects—something so fundamental, yet out of reach for many. However, it was in Mae Sot where reality truly set in, where struggle, perseverance, and hope were not abstract ideas but lived experiences unfolding before us

Mae Sot sits at the edge of a crisis most of the world forgets. As the war in Myanmar continues to impact lives, the border town has become a fragile refuge, a place where communities seek safety and opportunity. Among them, the students we taught at New Wave and Morning Glory migrant schools.

The classrooms at New Wave and Morning Glory were full of energy, voices, and a determination that felt almost tangible. The students’ energy was unstoppable. They are sharp, curious, and eager to learn, meeting every lesson with determination and enthusiasm. Their resilience isn’t something extraordinary or unusual; it is just life as they know it. What struck me most was the sense of community- how they look out for one another, and how education isn’t just an individual pursuit but rather a shared commitment.

Mae Sot is a place of paradox. It is rich in culture, an intersection of people and traditions, yet shadowed by displacement, by stories of lives uprooted. Leaving was not easy. But what I take with me are two things: first, the understanding that real change comes from standing alongside those who are already driving it, amplifying their voices, and recognizing that these struggles are not distant from us, instead they are part of the world we all share. And second, gratitude- for the people who let me into their world, To Imagine Thailand, to Li Mei, and to the entire team.