New Beginnings
"They ran successful businesses in Myanmar. They led communities. They had skills and experience and dreams. What they don't have anymore is capital."
Since the 2021 coup and the 2024 forced conscription law, hundreds of thousands of people have fled to Mae Sot at the Thai-Myanmar border. They're not recognized as refugees—just undocumented displaced persons, exposed to constant risks of arrest, deportation, abuse, and trafficking.
Among them are experienced entrepreneurs who ran successful businesses in Myanmar. Community leaders. Skilled professionals. They're active, intelligent, hardworking—and they've exhausted their resources during flight. They know how to build something. They just need the capital to start.
At the same time, new arrivals trying to find factory work face a cruel catch-22: the garment factories pay far below minimum wage for beginners, expecting workers to gain experience before earning a living wage. Many quit within weeks because they simply can't survive on beginner pay. They need bridge support to get through the first months.
