Refugee Bios

Please join Church World Service in welcoming Kyaw Kyaw Win, Duyen Nong, Hoang Luu, and Tulasa Gautam to the Greensboro community!  As they adjust to their new lives, all four are eagerly searching for work, so if you are aware of any employment opportunities that match their backgrounds and experiences, contact the CWS Employment Staff at (336) 617-0381 or by email at vcoll@churchworldservice.org.

Name: Kyaw Kyaw Win

Country of Origin: Burma

Arrived in the U.S.: September 2010

Here is Kyaw Kyaw’s story, in his own words:

I am Kyaw Kyaw, an Arakanese from Myanmar, also called Burma. I graduated from Myanmar University. However, in the Arakanese state of Burma, there is a brutal military regime, which has totally destroyed the education system and human rights violations are getting worse. Our Arakanese people have been facing economic hardships, racial discrimination, land confiscation, forced labour, physical rape, child solider recruitment, and manipulation of natural resources under the Burmese junta. The daily lives of our people are full of fears and uncertainty. Thus I left from the Burmese army due to fear of persecution and arrived in Malaysia in June 2004.

When I stayed in Malaysia, I worked as a car mechanic in a car workshop for nearly two years. My responsibilities were to conduct break inspections, change oil, filters and other fluids, replace and patch tires. Moreover, I had to prepare and kept maintain and repair records. Thus, I have strong practical experiences with mechanic work.

At that time, I had to stay as an illegal immigrant in Malaysia. I faced many unsafe and dangerous problems under the immigration enforcement law. I could have been arrested any time in there. Thus, I applied to work at Arakan Refugee Relief Committee (ARRC). I got the General Secretary position of ARRC and worked in there for nearly four years. At that position, I had to prepare and submit reports, such as police arrests health conditions and accidents of Arakanese refugees to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Therefore, I am also familiar with the knowledge of office work processes very well.

On September 30, 2010, I arrived in the U.S. I have personal qualifications of computer knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Power Point), email and internet based researching. I am able to speak English, Malay, Mandarin, Burmese and Arakanese fluently. I am attending English classes at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) in Jamestown to improve my English skills. Moreover, I am learning job interview skills and attending cultural classes at Church World Service in order to fit with the working and social environment in U.S.

Therefore, I am confident that the combination of my practical work experience, communication skills and my personal knowledge will help to contribute to your business development.

Name: Duyen Nong

Country of Origin: Vietnam

Arrived in the U.S.: 2009

Duyen is a 20-year-old refugee from Vietnam who was resettled along with her family in late 2009 by Church World Service. Duyen is currently taking English and computer classes at Guilford Technical Community College. Her long term goal is to complete a college degree in mathematics. Duyen has a busy schedule. In the afternoons, she works at Travel Rose, a Vietnamese store in Greensboro, as a cashier and stocker. Duyen’s energetic nature is one of her most valuable traits.

After finishing high school in Vietnam, Duyen trained as a seamstress for sixth months before being resettled. Not only does Duyen work and attend school, she helps interpret for others in the Vietnamese community who don’t speak as much English as her. Her compassion is on display daily.

Name: Hoang Luu

Country of Origin: Vietnam

Arrived in the U.S.: 2009

Hoang was resettled from Vietnam along with his daughter by Church World Service one year ago. Hoang is currently taking English classes at New Arrivals school. Hoang is looking for a job where he can put his skilled hands to good use. He wants to be physically active because it makes him happy.

Hoang has a very strong work ethic. He has held several temporary jobs since his arrival. He worked on an assembly line at Horizon Tool, packaged food at Creative Snacks and cleaned at Green Bean coffee shop. In Vietnam, Hoang was a bicycle repairman for over 20 years. He is interested in doing general repairs and handyman labor.

Name: Tulasa Devi Gautam

Country of Origin: Bhutan

Arrived in the U.S.: September 2010

UPDATE: Church World Service is proud and excited to report that Tulasa has found employment. She is working at Quiznos  in Greensboro.

Tulasa is a 22 year-old refugee from Bhutan who was resettled in late September by Church World Service. When asked to describe herself, Tulasa said, “I have lived in Nepal for the past 18 years, and I am excited to work in the Greensboro community. I have a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, excellent communication skills, and a great willingness to learn.”

In regards to her future plans, Tulasa explained, “My short term goal is to get a job in order to help support my family. I hope to be a valuable asset to any workplace where I am employed. I am also working to improve my English language skills, including taking classes at Guilford Technical Community College. After completing one year of university in Nepal, I now plan to work towards finishing my university education in America.”

Tulasa’s work experience includes teaching social studies and mathematics at an elementary school, being a caretaker for the elderly, and weaving fabric.

If you have information about employment opportunities for Kyaw Kyaw, Duyen, Hoang, or Tulasa, contact the CWS Employment Staff at (336) 617-0381 or by email at vcoll@churchworldservice.org. Please share their stories with any friends, neighbors, co-workers, and potential employers who might know of a good job!