From Stateless to Home: A Journey of Resilience and Belonging

What happens when you’re born into a world that doesn’t recognise you?

 

No country. No citizenship. No official identity. Just survival, family and hope.

 

In this deeply moving episode of My Migrant Soul, Imran sits down with May Joy Naw Nyo - a refugee, community leader and someone whose story quietly redefines resilience.

 

Born stateless in Thailand after her parents fled Myanmar, May spent the first 20 years of her life in a refugee camp. No passport. No nationality. No clear sense of where she belonged. Then came Australia.

 

A new country. A new language. A completely different way of life.

 

From not understanding simple phrases like “have here or takeaway” to becoming a confident community development professional, May’s journey is not just about adapting - it’s about rebuilding identity from the ground up.

 

This conversation moves beyond hardship. It explores perspective, gratitude and the kind of resilience that reshapes how you see your own life.

 

Because when you’ve had to choose between life and death, everything else looks different.

 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Growing up stateless and unrecognised by any country
  
  

• Life inside a refugee camp and what it teaches you about survival
  
  

• The culture shock of arriving in Australia
  
  

• Language barriers, confidence and starting from zero
  
  

• How volunteering became a turning point
  
  

• Learning about money, opportunity and building a future
  
  

• The emotional weight of receiving an Australian citizenship certificate
  
  

• The question many migrants carry - “Where is home?”
  
  

• The strength that comes from perspective and gratitude
  
  

Key Takeaway:
When you’ve lived through survival, you stop measuring life by what’s missing - and start valuing everything you have.

 

 

Special Thanks to Our Partners


This podcast is proudly supported by our incredible partner businesses:
Westend Business Hub, Westend Digital, Westend Photography, Westend Podcast and WeConnect

 

Their continued support helps bring these powerful stories to life and fosters a platform where voices, experiences, and communities can be shared. These partnerships reflect a shared commitment to connection, growth, and empowering diverse stories that inspire meaningful change.

 

If this story shifted your perspective, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

 

And follow My Migrant Soul for more stories that remind us what it really means to belong.