Aren't these women beautiful? If you knew them personally you would know that they are not only beautiful on the outside. They possess hearts of gold, or maybe of iron! The intensity that you see in their eyes is not imagined. They are determined, motivated, committed and full of life, and it shows. While I spoke only simple conversational Karen and they spoke only a few words of English the three of us developed a love for each other that will not diminish. They are both very influential women in the camp and both have high positions with the Karen Women's Organization. They also weave with the hope of making a little bit of money (ask to see what they sell!).
The woman on the left coordinated all of my trainings and we had a few chances to talk (through a translator of course). When she was young her parents died, leaving her and her siblings to fend for themselves. She was not able to attend school past the 5th grade. This was very disappointing for her and so now she encourages her two sons to take every opportunity for education. She told me that she almost drowned twice and she showed me a tattoo where a snake had bitten her. Whenever I saw her she was always running somewhere. "At your service!" is her motto. She is full of personality. When she would come into a room of people she would just start talking. Although I never really knew what she was saying, I could tell that everyone thought she was hilarious. Their faces would break out into huge grins. I guess she is quite the storyteller. She is one of my motivations to learn Karen, I really want to know what she is saying!
The woman on the right is a Social Welfare Worker. She represents the Karen Women's organization as she works with the whole camp. She seems to have a lot of experience and wants to share what she knows with those who are new on the job. I don't think she missed a day of the trainings. She is full of wisdom - I think that she was the true teacher, I was just the facilitator. There were many men in the training, but she was not afraid to challenge them or to share her ideas (a rarity among the Karen). She doesn't earn a cent for the work that she does, but it is her way to work towards a brighter future for her people. I doubt that she ever complains, except maybe about a backache!
You can't see it in this picture, but both of these women have amazing smiles that constantly encouraged me and reminded me that there are good people in this world.