The light in a child’s eyes as they discover and learn new things is, in Gabriel Tluang Than Nawl’s, made even brighter as his entire world has become anew. With help from Fulcrum, the 12-year-old boy is attending Immaculate Conception Regional School (ICRS) in Mount Vernon as a refugee from his war-torn homeland of Myanmar.
With more than three years of civil war following a coup d’état that resulted in the country’s military forces attacking ethnic minorities, Gabriel, his mother and father, and his aunt’s family with whom he now lives, are all refugees who found safety this month in the Skagit Valley, and in the community of the Catholic school.
In Myanmar, there are more than 100 ethnic groups and as many languages and dialects. Gabriel and family speak Burmese-Chin, a dialect of one of 53 sub-tribes known as Chin, and among the most persecuted ethnic groups in the country. The Chin ethnic group in Myanmar represents 53 different sub-tribes, 80% of whom are Christian, in a nation where 88% of the population is Buddhist.
Gabriel’s family was among the millions displaced by the coup, having fled first to Malaysia, returning home to Myanmar to care for his grandparents, and then fleeing again to India. The process of securing official refugee status and gaining lawful entry to the United States was a long one, taking several years to complete. Once the news came that Gabriel, his mother and father could legally come to the United States, the administration at Immaculate Conception Regional School sprang into action.
“Being a refugee is waiting and waiting,” Principal Sarah Rutherford said. But once they had the green light and knew Gabriel was arriving, the school made a place for him the next day.
“I am so proud of my staff for welcoming Gabriel,” said Rutherford. “He’s created a buzz. Everyone wants to meet him!”
“Everyone in our community is grateful to have someone with a different story to tell. We want to welcome people and we want to have diversity in our school. I think the students and the parents are happy to have him here. You see all the problems in the world, and you can help one person.”
The family arrived here with no jobs, no English, and Gabriel far behind in his learning, since school is impossible in the chaos of armed conflict. But with the warm welcome of his classmates, tuition support from the school and Fulcrum, and his aunt assisting with the legal paperwork, his first month here is going smoothly.
Gabriel’s favorite thing to do in school is play soccer. Though on the basketball court he doesn’t shy away from a spirited game, either. He’s adjusting to the cold weather as winter approaches, as he’s not yet used to the Pacific Northwest climate.
“Currently, he goes to second grade for reading to learn vocabulary, to fourth grade for math, and fifth grade is his homeroom,” she added. “His education has been interrupted by war, but he is very bright and capable. As he learns English, we hope to move him up in grades.”
The adjustment is enormous for Gabriel. Here, he can play in parks, learn in school with other children, and play sports. In Myanmar, the war interrupted life so dramatically that children can’t wander beyond the street in front of their house. A bullet flew through his upstairs window, and friends of the family were lost when a bomb dropped through their roof and onto their dinner table.
His aunt, Elizabeth Mawi, helps to translate for the school, where her own daughters attend with Fulcrum’s tuition assistance. “He was so happy the first day of school,” she said. “He came home and told his parents ‘Everybody welcome me and say ‘Hi’ to me’,” she said. “I know he’s a very lucky boy. His family is very lucky. A lot of people are still suffering.”
“It’s an honor for Fulcrum to support your family,” Fulcrum Senior Director of Advancement Amy Hall told her. “But it’s many people coming together to make it happen. We are so happy you are here!”
Photo above: Gabriel, third from the right, with some of his new classmates.