Skip to content
  • Song of Freedom - NEW
  • Emergence - NEW
  • Hope in a Hexagon
  • Light Triumphs Over Darkness
  • Restoration - FEATURED
  • Empowerment
  • Committed
  • Desert Flower
  • Hidden Treasures
  • Salt & Light
  • Speak Up
  • Gifts
  • See All Collections
  • Earrings
  • Necklaces
  • Bracelets
  • Rings
  • Men's
  • Accessories
  • Magazine
  • Gifts
  • Church Resources
  • Sale
  • Stainless Steel
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Rose Gold
  • Beaded
  • Stones
  • Leather
Necklaces
Earrings
Bracelets
About Eden
Programs
Microgreens
Contact Us
Donate
Become a Wholesale Stockist
Wholesale login
Locate your local stockist
Join Us
Corporate gifts
Stories
Sale
  • Account
Cart

Your cart is empty

FREE shipping on all AU orders over $150

  • ShopShop
    Collections
    • Song of Freedom - NEW
    • Emergence - NEW
    • Hope in a Hexagon
    • Light Triumphs Over Darkness
    • Restoration - FEATURED
    • Empowerment
    • Committed
    • Desert Flower
    • Hidden Treasures
    • Salt & Light
    • Speak Up
    • Gifts
    • See All Collections
    Shop By Type
    • Earrings
    • Necklaces
    • Bracelets
    • Rings
    • Men's
    • Accessories
    • Magazine
    • Gifts
    • Church Resources
    • Sale
    Shop By Look
    • Stainless Steel
    • Gold
    • Silver
    • Rose Gold
    • Beaded
    • Stones
    • Leather

    Restoration Collection

    New Men's Pieces

  • NecklacesNecklaces
  • EarringsEarrings
  • BraceletsBracelets
  • About
    • About Eden
    • Programs
    • Microgreens
    • Contact Us
  • DonateDonate
  • Wholesale
    • Become a Wholesale Stockist
    • Wholesale login
    • Locate your local stockist
  • Get Involved
    • Join Us
    • Corporate gifts
  • StoriesStories
  • SaleSale
This is Eden
Access Denied
IMPORTANT! If you’re a store owner, please make sure you have Customer accounts enabled in your Store Admin, as you have customer based locks set up with EasyLockdown app. Enable Customer Accounts
Now reading: Hidden Treasures: Mya Mya's Story | 'I am Brave'
Share
PrevNext
Her Story

Hidden Treasures: Mya Mya's Story | 'I am Brave'

Read the story in the Collection Lookbook

Mya Mya grew up in a small village in rural Myanmar. When she was just 13 her life was completely turned upside down by a string of tragic events. Her parents lost their jobs, fell into debt bondage and sold their daughter to an agent who forced her into factory work. Mya Mya’s childlike sense of wonder and her freedoms were soon lost as she was told to stop school and go to work in a shoe factory. 

At such a young age, Mya Mya was not accustomed to working 15-hour shifts in such harsh working conditions. She felt as though she had lost all sense of purpose. Mya Mya would stand in the production line, her back aching, her stomach grumbling, all the while dreaming of working in an office and longing for a chance to rescue her family from their poverty. Mya Mya’s natural beauty often caught the eye of many who thought to exploit her vulnerability and naivety for their gain. This is what happened when Ye Win, a seemingly kind man, lured Mya Mya and her cousin into believing his web of lies, filled with empty promises and fabricated dreams. 

Mya Mya and her cousin were promised a job in the city and drove with Ye Win to a nearby house where they would stay for the night. That night the woman who lived in the home was not happy with their presence. She terrorized the two young girls, endlessly hurling insults and curses at them. They were locked in one of the rooms and all of a sudden, there was an eerie moment of calm. The woman was making various phone calls, Ye Win had left the house and the two girls were clueless as to what would happen. Early the next day they were harshly awoken and forcibly taken to a hotel. Mya Mya could no longer recognize the city she was in. She tried to remember landmarks and signs so that when the chance came she could tell others, but she was in such a state of shock that she could not retain anything.

 

 

They arrived at the dilapidated hotel, with flickering fluorescent lights and an awful smell of damp and old cigarettes. It was here Mya Mya was taken to a small room. She was forced to wear a white dress, to sit on the bed, and wait. She sat there alone, in a dark dismal room, and waited for a moment that would begin her rapid descent into a very dark place. 

A few moments later, the door creaked open and a man walked into the room. He had bought her innocence. She wept and cried for help while he, without any sympathy, stole her virginity. As he left he passed another man whose dark, piercing eyes glared maliciously at Mya Mya. He violently pulled her into his tattoo-covered arms and took her and her cousin to a brothel specializing in the selling of underage girls. 

Mya Mya remained strong and brave for her cousin. As they were bought and sold, Mya Mya would try to calm the accusing voices which echoed endlessly in her mind. After three months Mya Mya could no longer bear seeing their dignity being crushed and their potential crumble. She and her cousin took a step of bravery, they traded their cautious nature for a heart of courage.  

 

  

Mya Mya had been watching the pimps outside her room through a small hole in the wall. She waited for them to fall asleep, and it was at that moment she saw her opportunity. She and her cousin tip-toed through the room and escaped into the night. Although exhausted, they ran through the night until dawn arrived. Mya Mya then boldly approached a car whose owner kindly offered to drive her to her village. Mya Mya and her cousin were finally reunited with their family. 

Despite being liberated, like many who suffer from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), they were not the same as before. When they returned home they stayed in bed and refused to eat, they struggled to tell their family the series of traumatic events which befell them. Out of concern, their parents contacted an organization that referred both the girls to Eden. 

Every girl who walks through the welcoming doors of Eden, although free, still experiences the traumatic symptoms of PTSD, shame and terror. It was a slow process, but soon Mya Mya spoke to our counselors about the atrocities she had faced. She then took another brave step. To claim victory over defeat, Mya Mya gave a report to the police and with the help of the Eden team, gave compelling evidence against those who had sold her into bondage. She went with the police and directed them to the people who had committed these crimes against her. They were arrested and afterwards Mya Mya stood, at only 14 years old, in a large courtroom with all eyes watching her as she told the truth about what had happened. Because of her bravery, they were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

Like all new women entering the Eden program, she added her painting to the Eden Dream Wall. It was a painting of her as an office secretary. Although she still believed this would be impossible, the finance team noticed her skills in organizing and mathematics, so they took her under their wing and trained her in accounting. Through these acts of bravery, she has restored her potential and has now graduated from Eden, but has chosen to continue working with the finance team where she can use her skills.

 

The Hidden Treasures Collection was designed to reflect the hidden courage that arose in Mya Mya. She was brave enough to escape, brave enough to report the crimes against her and brave enough to give evidence as a child in a terrifying situation in a courtroom, facing those who had so cruelly sold her. Bravery is not the absence of fear but the power that arises in us to overcome the fear with indignation and renewed hope. We all have hidden bravery within us and sometimes it is only in the darkest of times that we can find it and rise up against injustice, pain, hurt and shame. When you wear this collection it is a reminder that you carry this treasure of courage within and although others may not see it, it is there, hidden in the intricate pattern of your life. The words “I am brave” in the Myanmar language are intricately woven into the beautiful design as a reminder of the stories of Mya Mya and countless other women whose stories we may never hear, but whose courage inspires others to be brave.

 

 
Shop Hidden Treasures Collection
Tho Tho's Story: Knots of Freedom
Her Story

Tho Tho's Story: Knots of Freedom

An Empowerment Story - Chapter 2: Lin Lin
Her Story

An Empowerment Story - Chapter 2: Lin Lin

Shop now

Hope in a Hexagon Huggie EarringsHope in a Hexagon Huggie Earrings

Hope in a Hexagon Huggie Earrings

$35
Find Hope BraceletFind Hope Bracelet

Find Hope Bracelet

$65
Steps to Freedom BraceletSteps to Freedom Bracelet

Steps to Freedom Bracelet

$34
Find Hope Leather NecklaceFind Hope Leather Necklace

Find Hope Leather Necklace

$67
Steps to Freedom NecklaceSteps to Freedom Necklace

Steps to Freedom Necklace

$40
Time for Freedom NecklaceTime for Freedom Necklace

Time for Freedom Necklace

$20 $68

"The amazing work that Eden’s doing is changing lives one at a time. And it doesn’t stop with just bringing people off the streets. The restoration and renewal of hope through training of a trade and work placement is something truly admirable and sorely needed in this generation!"

Charissa | via Facebook

Invalid password
Enter

Eden

Together with women rescued from human trafficking, we create precious jewelry that carries their stories.

+614 47 746 545
au_info@thisiseden.org

Eden Australia Ltd is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits commission (ACNC) and as a Public Benevolent Institution with Deductible Gift Recipient status. Donations of $2 or more to Eden Australia (ABN: 68 625 847 403) are tax deductible in Australia.

Info

  • About Eden
  • Shipping and Returns Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us

Get Involved

  • Stockists
  • Become a Wholesale Stockist
  • Join Us
  • Browse Our Magazine
  • Corporate gifts

Stay Updated

Sign up to enjoy 15% off your next order.

© Eden Australia Ltd

Site by Burnette + Co.

  • Afterpay
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa