Meet Bella: A Warrior in an Urban Jungle
Meet Bella. We have been working with her and her family for several years and have admired her tremendous growth in such a short time.
Here, Christy sat down to chat with her about her future dreams and current interests.
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Hi my name is Bella, I am 17 years old and was born in Vietnam where my parents were farmers. My family fled to Thailand eight years ago because of persecution from the Vietnamese government. Shortly after we arrived, I went to Thai school for two years where I learned how to read and write in Thai. Currently, I am working full time at Courageous Kitchen and have been here for two years. I have learned how to cook a lot of different dishes from Thai to western cuisine. My job as a kitchen assistant is to prepare meals for clients and work at special events like markets or fundraisers. This has taught me a lot of patience and learning to work with new ingredients and meet people from all over the world.
I am also very close to my family. I have five siblings; three sisters and two brothers. I am proud that my parents brought us to Thailand even though we’re refugees and have struggled a lot. They gave us the opportunity to have a better life and learn new things. I have had the opportunity to meet new people and be exposed to different cultures. For fun, I like to watch movies, and practice English. When I’m not drawing or playing the guitar and ukulele, I also like to dance and make videos.
My dream is to finish high school and go to a university. I will study hard to become a lawyer and interpreter. I want to help the less fortunate like myself, because I have seen the hardship they go through. I will help refugee families that want to improve their lives. I want to learn more math and law, specifically about the legal processes of immigration. I am also interested in learning more technology because I have to use it often for my work. Being able to communicate and work online will make things much easier for my daily life.
I am determined to improve my situation and build a better future for myself and my family through continued education. I would like to make new friends from different countries and learn about their lives, join sports teams, and get involved with the community. Although I am a refugee, I feel I am just as deserving of this opportunity. Unfortunately, living in Thailand I have been treated differently. I don’t want people to continue to look down on me just because I carry this label. I have shown my resilience despite the barriers that stand in my way.
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If you'd like to learn more about Bella or find out how you can support her educational dreams, please visit courageouskitchen.org
