My name is Soe Moe. I am from Myanmar. In Myanmar, I worked for the office of a center of independent living. I am from a family of four and my family members live in the countryside, which is six hours by car from Yangon. My disability is due to polio. I was infected with polio virus when I was six months old. This visit to Japan was the first time I have been abroad, and it was also the first time for me to fly. Aboard the airplane I asked myself many times if I was dreaming. Furthermore, my family in the countryside was all delighted, perhaps more than I was, that I got the opportunity to study in Japan.

Before I came over to Japan I used to be a different person from the Soe Moe that everyone knows now. I would like to tell you how I have changed after studying in Japan for 10 months.

My Japanese language teachers all had a great way of teaching, making the study interesting. Before I came over to Japan, being a worker, I had not much time to spare on anything else. As it was also expensive to study Japanese, I just taught myself simple greetings. In Japan, after completing my 3-month study of Japanese, I continued learning the language from people at my training destinations.

In the New Year, I attended the home-stay program in Hokkaido. I had heard about Hokkaido from a Japanese friend of mine before coming over to Japan, and it had always been a place I wanted to visit, so I was very pleased to have the real opportunity for a visit. I also saw snow for the first time in my life. I played with snow, and walked in the snow to a Shinto shrine. In Myanmar, girls do not drink alcohol, but in Hokkaido I had beer, wine and sake. I especially liked sake. I was still unable to speak Japanese that well, but my host family was very kind and we had such a good time.

I am a country person, so I would like to found centers for independent living in country towns of Myanmar. In order to do this, I studied how to build centers in local provinces. Another thing I learned at the CIL Tosa’s High Pressure in the Pacific was that everyone there could use sign language. I would like to study sign language as I wish to speak to all my friends with disabilities when I go back to Myanmar.

I participated in the skiing training program in Niigata. I had never even thought about skiing until then. My instructors were all very kind. Together with two of my fellow trainees also in a wheelchair and my instructor, I repeatedly yelled, “loooong wave!!” I had never yelled so loudly before. The hotel was also very clean. I shared the room with a family from the Duskin AINOWA Foundation. Both the mother and her daughter were very kind to me. We took a group picture together. We had such a good time.

At the Independent Living ‘MUCHU’ Center, I learned about how people with disabilities can enjoy their life. I now know that enjoying life is essential for us all. Previously, whenever there was something I wanted to do, I never felt I could do it because of my disability. Thanks to the training at the ‘MUCHU’ Center, I became able to do the things I had always wanted to do. There is a phrase I learned at the center that I will never forget: “I am not alone! I can be strong, kind, and enjoy my life because I have my peers.” Every time Mr. Hirashita talks to me he always reminds me of the phrase. I will never forget it, because it helped me change my perception about my own disability. At the ‘MUCHU’ Center, I truly came to believe that I was not alone.

In Nagoya I learned great ideas for fundraising. I also participated in a variety of events hosted by the AJU. Even though it was wonderful to study, there was something I found slightly difficult – I was the only woman in the group. In fact, this was the most difficult thing that happened in my life. For example, both of my trainers were male, so I felt lonely every day. On the last day of training we went to a local railway company for negotiation, but I was again the only woman in the group of twenty-three people. In addition, the people at the railway company were so busy that they spared little time for us to chat. However, I raised my hand at the end of the day and introduced myself. During the training I used to feel that having no female company was a tragedy, but it eventually became alright. Now, I can talk to anyone under any circumstances. It was such a good experience.

At the RingRing, I studied peer counseling, a process that is so important for people with disabilities. Peer counseling may not be necessary for strong-minded people with disabilities. But as many people with disabilities feel weak-minded in my country, peer counseling is very important. I believe that a strong mind can enable one with disability to try and achieve anything. I was extremely lucky to attend the long-term peer counseling course that is offered only once a year. Even after the course ended, our own peer counseling continued. Even now, every Saturday and Sunday, we conduct peer-counseling via mobile phones and Skype. We promised to each other, that we continue with our peer-counseling practice even after I go back to Myanmar. This network is so convenient; it enables us to ask each other questions any time we wish. I find the network really fantastic.

I also visited the Mainstream Association in Nishinomiya. It was only one week long, so at first I did not make any friends. It became a lot more enjoyable after I made more friends during the two-day TRY event. On our last day, I chatted with my new friends until six in the morning. I had never done that before. It was a wonderful experience to participate in TRY.

I studied for four days at the JEN in Tokyo. I learned about good management. The JEN implements support activities across many countries, including Myanmar. There are also many people volunteering to support activities of the JEN, but they are not called volunteers; instead they are called ‘supporters.’ This supporter program was very interesting.

I got so many new experiences in Japan during the 10-month training. I love Japanese chocolate and juices. I also love kimonos and karaoke. I swam in a pool for the first time in my life. At first I could hardly swim 25 meters, but eventually I was able to swim 100 meters.

These experiences changed me dramatically. Before, I was not able to speak in front of a large group of people, but now I can. Before, I was not able to speak if I was the only woman in a group, but now I can. Peer counseling initially looked like the most difficult thing to study, and it worried me, but I improved my skills a lot. I have also changed in another respect; I now do everything I want to do. For example, before, I never wore mini-skirts because my right foot is large and my left foot is very small. But now I wear mini-skirts because I love them. I now decide what I like and what I do. Before coming to Japan I was always sad about my disability, but now I like myself the way I am.

When I go back to Myanmar I will go back to my job at the center for independent living, and start working on what the center has been lacking. For example I would like to start a consultation service for people with disabilities so that they can pop in and talk. I would also like to create a first peer counseling group in Myanmar. I will also design an independent living program, go on a bus together with friends, and visit many places. I would also like to develop a variety of systems for people with disabilities, and work with my peers toward a barrier-free society.

Until now I had zero confidence. Now I am confident that I can do anything, anywhere. This is the power everyone in Japan has given me. I would like to use this power not just for myself, but for everyone in Myanmar. I will, with the power gained from people in Japan, sow seeds of happiness in Myanmar. I am sure that my seeds will grow and flowers will blossom beautifully.

I would like to thank everyone at the Duskin AINOWA Foundation, the JSRPD and the Toyama Sunrise as well as all of my friends and people I met through my training, and of course, my fellow 14th program trainees. Thank you so much.