LiftOff Blog: Giving Back

By Monica Tran
Senior Manager, Digital Investment

This past weekend, I traveled back to Chiang Mai to help deliver food and supplies to an Internally Displaced Peoples Camp in the Karen state in Myanmar. I spent two summers in ’07 and ’08 teaching English in a Karen village, an ethnic hill tribe that lives in northern Thailand and eastern parts of Myanmar. It was an incredibly eye opening, overwhelming, heartbreaking and back-breaking trip – but overall an experience I won’t forget! Here are some pics from the weekend:

Monica Tran Giving Back
We were able to deliver beds, ramen, rice, canned tomatoes, cabbage, and warm clothes during this trip. This is my boyfriend, Brad, and a 9th grader named Guka after driving almost 6 hours to the Thai/Myanmar border.
Monica Tran Gives Back
Our loaded boat – ready to go another 2 hours up river to the Karen village in Myanmar

Monica Tran Gives Back

Monica Tran Gives Back

Monica Tran Gives Back
Unloading the boat – it really took a village!
Monica Tran Gives Back
Carrying the supplies into the village.
Monica Tran Gives Back
Kids hanging out.
Monica Tran Gives Back
With my “Thai Mom”, Maliwan, whom I stayed with during my summers in Chiang Mai. She organizes these trips every MONTH to provide this camp with adequate food and supplies.
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