Many of my students are single young men, here in Nupho without a family to support them and no way to earn a steady income. They are forbidden from working by the Thai government and so are limited to odd jobs they can secure from time to time. While in most contexts single, young, educated men in their twenties would have many advantages, including a generally higher education level than their female counterparts in the job market and more disposable income than older men with families to support; in Nupho, they are at a disadvantage.

These young men actually seem to be one of the most vulnerable groups here, as their rations are smaller and they are forced to share already cramped quarters with other single male friends. Additionally, they lack the family support that is so central in Burmese culture. Unfortunately, many of them become depressed, having no work or family to keep them busy, and they often spend too much time drinking as a result. They have so much potential, but being on their own makes it hard to remain positive about their futures.


Despite the challenges they face, my students seem to be on the right track for the most part, even though I do worry about their futures if they are forced to languish too long in a refugee camp. One of them was out of class last week, after finding some temporary work in a nearby town. He told me that he hadn't read any further in the book assigned for class since I had left for my visa run two weeks earlier. Then after a discussion of the book in class, I come to find out that had just "skimmed" the last 100+ pages while I was away. So, not only had he kept up with the reading for class, he had finished the book three weeks ahead of everyone else. He said "skimming" it didn't count.