When she was just nine years old, Nem Lek’s mother fled Myanmar with Nem Lek and her younger sister. They brought nothing with them and had little food. For five days the family traveled only in the dark of night, hiding in the forest by day, before being reunited with Nem Lek’s father. At last the family reached Malaysia where they lived for the next 2 years until they were officially granted refugee status by the United Nations and relocated to the United States. 

I have been waiting forever (to join Forai)! 

Nem Lek joined Forai as an artisan with the Jewelry Project while she was in high school, then joined us again as a summer intern while in college. When her university closed the campus due to COVID, Nem Lek returned home to continue studying remotely and help tutor her much younger sisters, who were also navigating remote learning. She also reconnected with Forai, taking on the roles of Jewelry Administrator and Sales Rep for Pop Ups. 

Resilience, courage, compassion, determination, and tenacity are all words that describe this amazing young woman. Last May she graduated from George Washington University with a degree in Biology and promptly began the nursing program with the Goldfarb School of Nursing.