I am a persecuted Rohingya born in the middle of a disaster in Myanmar (Burma). In Myanmar, innumerable Rohingya are unable to be educated. The distressed Rohingya desire to obtain an education rather than work while they are adolescents; however, that is not an option. The majority of Rohingya are in poverty and lack access to education. These same people are likewise facing various problems from all directions. Rohingya are thirsty for their freedom and knowledge.
Myanmar’s dictatorship oppressed the freedom of the Rohingya minority. The majority and minority ethnicities had the equal privilege when Burma became independent from Great Britain in 1948. Consequently, over time, the government commenced genocide against the innocent Rohingya.
Education is the universal key to unlocking any door in the world, and education is also a powerful weapon capable of impacting the whole world without utilizing physical arms. Correspondingly, the Myanmar government was able to dominate the Rohingya because they had insufficient knowledge.
I am fortunate that both of my parents were well educated. They enrolled me in Madrasa (Arabic School) when I could speak, and they enrolled me in a private school when I was five years old. Hence, they knew how influential and crucial it was to be knowledgeable. Nevertheless, my parents hoped to become doctors, engineers, or professors.
When I was young, I remembered that my parents did their best to send me to school. They made studying a priority for me despite facing various critical issues, for instance, deficiency of income. Under the circumstances, I refused to go to school, so perhaps I could assist my parents on the farms and supervise my siblings. Therefore, they rejected my help and invariably informed me, “Shofi, a thief could steal property, treasure, or even the clothes from the body, but they would never be able to steal the knowledge from you.”
In 2012, the entire nation was reeling because the conflict became dreadful between the Burmese and Rohingya, and it was unsafe for Rohingya males to dwell in their beloved land. Meanwhile, my parents were struggling to survive, and during that time, it was intolerable for me to watch them. In 2015, I was in fifth grade in a private school. Just before the end of my fifth-grade year, I discontinued private school and Madrasa to reduce some of my parents’ burdens so that they would be able to breathe.
In 2015, with the consent of my parents, I fled my native soil to rescue myself from being slaughtered by the terrible government. When I departed my home, I had an intention to go to Malaysia. Still, I ended up fleeing to Thailand on human traffickers’ fishing boats, among the other unknown Rohingya and Bangladeshi.
While I was in Thailand’s jungle for six days, I was starving to death, and then I got arrested by Thai authorities along with Rohingya and Bangladeshi. Unfortunately, the Thailand authorities detained me in Immigration Detention Centers (IDC) for approximately two years. The IDC’s condition was horrible, and it was a horrendous space for me to stay for such a long period. I would rather die than have to encounter something similar to IDC.
When I came to the United States of America, I enrolled in fifth grade, and I am presently a senior in high school, in the class of 2022. Throughout my school career, I attained bountiful sports awards. In addition, I achieved a few certifications from the National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies (NCATT), including Aviation Electronics Technician, Radio Communication Systems, and Foreign Object Debris. Furthermore, I was Student of the Month at my school, and I am currently a member of the National Honor Society. I aspire to go to college and pursue my dream of an Electrical and Aeronautical Engineering degree. I am starving and exceedingly thirsty for the power of knowledge.
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Shofi Alom | ShofiAlom2015 
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