Khan Mai, born and raised in Myanmar, attended university via distant learning and worked as a kindergarten and primary school teacher. But with eight siblings, her family struggled to make ends meet. So she packed her bags and set off to Singapore to provide for her family.

Written by: Vittoria O.

Khan Mai, a confident and entrepreneurial Aidha student

After a very difficult beginning and few fruitless years, Khan Mai decided that the time has finally come to pursue her lifelong dream — to help the less fortunate around her. Although she had always been engaged in charity work, the lack of money and training always prevented her from realizing her own projects. But her dream started coming true after enrolling in Aidha.

Big plans, big dreams: Khan Mai (bottom left) with her friends

Together with eight like-minded friends and colleagues at Aidha, Khan Mai developed a very ambitious business plan — a shopping mall with a food court selling local products and a water park for families to spend time together at affordable prices. The mall is expected to provide a large number of jobs for young Burmese who may otherwise end up living a life of unemployment and poverty.

A pig farm funded by Khan Mai and friends

Since the very beginning, the team was determined to put Aidha’s education into practice. Combining forces and capital, they already managed to buy land and set up a pig farm, which now serves as a stable source of income. Khan Mai trusts her team completely and she is fully confident that, one day, they will be able to make a big difference. “It is all thanks to Aidha,” she says, “Aidha helped me wake up from my dream and start making it a reality.” Khan Mai spent many years feeling useless and selfish but with the help of Aidha, she gained enough knowledge and confidence to take up the challenge and give her life a whole new meaning. And she never looked back. “Be confident and don’t look down on yourselves,” her words of wisdom to Aidha students,“because there is nothing you cannot do. Keep dreaming and one day it will happen.”