Wai Lwin Thaw (known as Freddie in New Zealand) will graduate with a Master of Public Policy majoring in Health and Wellbeing this December, thanks to a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship.

These scholarships, named to reflect support and hospitality, are offered to international students through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to help build prosperity, security, and sustainable growth in partner countries. They cover most of the costs of studying in New Zealand including course fees, travel, insurance, and a living allowance.

“Receiving the Manaaki scholarship has been a game-changer,” says Freddie. “The financial support wasn’t just about making ends meet but gave me the freedom to dive deep into my passion for public policy.”

On finishing high school in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) with good grades, Freddie decided to study medicine. After five years of study, he completed a one-year hospital internship covering different specialties. While he enjoyed the contact with patients, he found hospital work incredibly stressful. Myanmar has one of the lowest numbers of health professionals per capita in the world.

After working briefly as a General Practitioner, Freddie then spent four years working for international non-governmental organisations on health programmes like improving maternal and child health and controlling and eliminating malaria.

Through this work, Freddie developed an interest in public health and policy and a desire to work in this area. Some of his senior colleagues were alumni of the Manaaki programme who made a great impression on him.

“I found them really inspiring and very cool— both in their work and their communication skills. I thought I could be like them if I entered the programme and studied in New Zealand.”

Freddie was a preferred candidate for the programme but first needed to improve his writing skills to complete the English language requirement. A speaker of Burmese and Chin languages, he had learnt English at school, but it was taught in a rote manner that was not very engaging. “We learned a lot of our English from movies.”

He took a risk and gave up his job to study in the 'In-Country English Language Training Programme' delivered by Victoria University staff members in Yangon. Teacher Jean Arnold, from the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, says, “It was a pleasure teaching Freddie in Yangon back in early 2020. He was outgoing, funny, and hard-working.”

But after three months of face-to-face teaching, COVID-19 hit, and Jean had to return to New Zealand. Freddie and his fellow students studied online for five months, and all passed their international English language tests with higher scores than they needed, but by then New Zealand’s borders were closed. Then in February 2021 Myanmar underwent a military coup.

“What the Myanmar scholars have gone through is hard for a Westerner to fathom,” shares Jean. “It was a long, uncertain, frightening time while they waited in limbo.”

With little clarity about when he would be able to leave, Freddie ended up working in Yangon for two years, still hoping to get to New Zealand.

“To Asian eyes, New Zealand seemed like a peaceful and laidback place with an interest in sustainability that aligned with my values,” says Freddie.

He finally arrived in Wellington in February 2023 and had to make a few lifestyle adjustments. “Although it was summer, I was cold, and there was comparatively little nightlife, particularly on Lambton Quay. But I admired how many people walk here!”

The Master of Public Policy at Te Herenga Waka attracts local policy professionals as well as a large group of international students—often experienced employees of government organisations in their own countries. This makes for interesting class discussions as students share valuable insights and perspectives. Other Manaaki scholarship students from Myanmar are also studying at Victoria University. “They are my family here,” says Freddie.

Despite finding the course challenging at first, Freddie soon got to grips with both the specialised language of policy analysis and the Kiwi accent.

“The student learning advisors gave me lots of useful advice with my academic language skills.”

He now hopes to use the skills he has developed in the course in a role where he can apply his experience and knowledge in health policy.

“I congratulate Freddie and all the Myanmar Manaaki scholars who have made it here, done amazingly well at their studies, and are eager to get on with their lives in New Zealand until conditions in their home country improve,” says Jean.