A daughter’s journey shaped by her mother’s resilience and the power of education
Growing up in a small rural village in Rakhine State, Valarie’s childhood was shaped by conflict,
displacement, and fear. Air strikes were frequent, forcing her family to move again and again in
search of safety.
School was often interrupted, not because she lacked determination, but because survival had
to come first.
The most devastating moment came when her mother was severely injured during an air strike.
She lost her right hand and right leg. With hospitals barely functioning and medical staffs fleeing
from unsafe areas, her family struggled to find medical help. Even inside the hospital, there was
no safety. Air strikes continued through the night, forcing patients to hide under their beds. Due
to limited medical resources, her mother had to endure several days without proper treatment
and underwent multiple surgeries under extreme conditions.
Not only the physical pain was unbearable, also the emotional distress was even greater.
“There were moments when my mother told us she did not want to live anymore, hearing that
broke my heart.” she recalls. And yet, her mother survived.
Today, her mother lives with a disability, but her strength is inspiring. Despite losing so much,
she continues to care for her family and face life with resilience and quiet determination.
Watching her mother endure unimaginable loss and pain without surrendering to despair
reshaped her understanding of strength.
“When I feel weak or discouraged, I think of my mother. If she can continue living, then I can
continue learning,”she says.
For Valarie, education became more than a personal goal, it became a promise.
A promise to honor her mother’s courage and to build a future beyond fear and survival.
Still, the obstacles were overwhelming. Financial hardship and ongoing insecurity threatened to
end her education permanently. There were moments when continuing school felt impossible,
and times when she considered giving up. Without support, her dreams could have quietly
disappeared.
It was during this uncertainty that she first heard about Daughters Rising through her friends.
When Valarie learned that the program supports girls affected by conflict and hardship, she felt
that it spoke directly to her own life. Even so, she hesitated. She had no access to tutors, no personal sponsors, and no one in her family who had ever pursued higher
education.
However, she chose hope over doubt. The day she received the scholarship email
remains vivid in her memory. She was on a bus when she read it. Overwhelmed with relief and
gratitude, she immediately called her sister to share the news. She wanted to call her parents,
too, but phone lines in their area had been cut due to the situation.
Receiving the Daughters Rising scholarship gave Valarie something she had not felt in a long
time: stability. With her education fully supported, she no longer had to worry about being forced
to stop studying again. For the first time, she could focus on learning instead of surviving, on
healing instead of fearing what might come next.“Daughters Rising did not only support my
education,” she shares. “It restored my hope and belief in a better future.”
Also in her daily life, the change was profound. The constant anxiety about financial issues
eased. Her confidence returned. She began to plan not just for the next semester, but for a
future she once thought impossible. She often reflects on how different her life might have been
without that support. Without it, her education would likely have remained interrupted, her
choices painfully limited. Instead, she is now studying in Asia-Pacific International University
with purpose, carrying both her own dreams and the hopes of her family with her.
When she was asked to describe Daughters Rising in one word, her answer is simple:
“Hope” : Hope that education can continue despite conflict. Hope that girls are not defined by
what they have lost. Hope that one opportunity can change the direction of a life.
Her mother’s resilience planted the seed. Daughters Rising helped it grow.
Valarie’s journey is proof of what becomes possible when courage meets opportunity.
Education, for her, is no longer just a personal achievement; it is a way to honor her mother’s
strength and to imagine a future grounded in dignity, learning and hope.