Finding Safety, Together
GCA Thailand
Shared June 2026
We’d like to introduce you to Su Myat Aung. It has taken a lot of hard work, trust, and determination to get to where she is today~ and her smile says it all! We want to share her story and hope you are inspired by her tenacity.
After experiencing trauma and abuse at the hands of her husband in Myanmar, Su Myat Aung fled with her 2 ½ year old daughter to the only safe place she could reach: Thailand. Su Myat Aung’s mother, a former teacher, came with them as she also had to flee to safety during the military coup.
Once in Thailand, this small family was able to find temporary housing but continued to experience trauma and worry as Su Myat Aung’s ex-husband made contact with her and threatened her life. Su Myat Aung was living in fear while also caring for her daughter and tending to her mother’s chronic health issues which required daily treatment.
A stranger in the land…
Being a refugee in a country often means you don’t have the same rights as citizens. Once, while on her way to a free clinic to obtain the medicine her mother needed, Su Myat Aung was stopped by the Thai police and given a ticket for 7,000 baht, which she could not afford. This forced the family into hiding, and meant they could only venture out to a local shop to purchase medicine when they had enough money.
Thankfully, a concerned community member noticed this sweet family’s struggles and reached out to GCA Thailand. We conducted a full assessment of the family’s needs and learned so much about them and their story.
For the time being, GCA is providing tangible support like food and medicine in addition to emotional support and counseling. We are also assisting her family with protocols for staying safe from her ex-husband’s threats and providing opportunities on how to involve her community as a support system.
The New Path Forward
We are thrilled to welcome Su Myat Aung’s daughter to GCA’s Early Childhood Development Center (ECDP) where she will continue to learn, grow, and thrive in a loving, safe environment while giving Su Myat Aung an opportunity to find stable employment.
Su Myat Aung’s own mother is especially grateful for the support of GCA. During a recent visit she told us how difficult it was to watch her daughter live in fear and struggle emotionally. Now, she says, she sees her becoming more confident and more emotionally available for her child.
And, with access to her daily medicine again, Su Myat Aung’s mother is feeling so much stronger and can be more involved in the household and in her granddaughter’s life.