I met Zothansiami Ralte, known to the children as Ajarn Tete, in February 2025.

I had come to Musekee, her orphanage on the Myanmar/Thai border, for a short visit to teach English and creative writing. I left knowing I had to tell her story. She carries the voice of many people who have been silenced, and she has been serving the Karen people since 1984.

The Karen people have lived through one of the longest-running civil conflicts in the world. Families have been forced from their homes. Schools have been destroyed by airstrikes. Communities have been split apart. The children grow up without stability or safety, and feeling invisible to the rest of the world.

In fall 2026, I returned to Musekee to tell Ajarn Tete's story and amplify the voices of Karen youth. She has spent her life setting these children up with education and job paths, a road that leads them away from conflict and toward a future of their own.

I also brought my program, Code Violet, to the teachers at the Kawthoolei Border School. Code Violet teaches young people to understand and regulate their nervous system, build emotional intelligence, and communicate what they feel. I trained the teachers to hold this space themselves and left them the manual to continue without me. For a generation that has only known conflict and danger, this is prevention: building the habits that protect against a mental health crisis before it begins.

What I'm asking for:

Your support goes toward Musekee's most urgent priority right now: building a sustainable farm.

Musekee already has farmland growing pumpkins, lemons, bananas, and more, and it keeps chickens. But donations come in unevenly, and the farm can't yet afford a proper irrigation system or a local farmer to care for it every day. Without those two things, the land can't reliably feed the children.

With your help, the farm becomes:

A steady supply of food for the children, so meals don't depend on the next donation

A source of income for Musekee, through produce that can be sold

A lasting foundation, so Ajarn Tete's work can keep going year after year

Funds will cover:

1. Irrigation system

2. Wages for a local farmer:

3. New seeds and supplies

Why it matters: these children deserve to know they are just as worthy of their dreams as any child in the world. Your support helps them believe it.

Follow the story on YouTube and Instagram, linked on this page. I'll share updates there on where the funds go and what the children are doing.

Thank you for standing with them.

Deva