In 2014, the United States welcomed almost 70,000 refugees. People from many different countries arrived that year, but the leading countries of origin were Iraq, Burma, Somalia, and Bhutan. One of these refugees was Mhra Moe, who came to Pittsburgh from Burma after living in Malaysia for several years. “From 2008-2014, approximately 109,000 Burmese refugees arrived in the United States from camps and urban settings in Thailand and Malaysia.”
Mhra Moe left Burma seeking a better life. Like many others fleeing political violence and searching for educational opportunities, she knew she wanted to find peace and raise her kids in a place where they would have bright futures. Mhra Moe was excited to move to the United States even though she knew it would be challenging.
When she first arrived in Pittsburgh, Mhra Moe, her husband, and their three-year-old daughter had to stay with friends for a month as they waited for their apartment to be ready. They were happy to find out that South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) was located in their new apartment complex. Mhra Moe made the most of the resources by attending food pantries, tax help, parenting classes, sewing class, and family fun nights. SHIM staff taught her how to pay bills and enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She also enrolled her children in SHIM’s summer camp and joined SHIM’s Parent Advisory Council. Her husband is now participating in SHIM’s new Seed to Supper program.
“SHIM was our home. They helped with everything.”
Mhra Moe’s husband found a job as a steelworker and was able to provide for their growing family. They had two more daughters and Mhra Moe enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom. In 2018, Mhra Moe and her husband were able to purchase a home in Whitehall.
“Our friends said ‘you are lucky you stay here because you are close to the SHIM family center.’” 
As her family thrived in their new home, Mhra Moe was ambitious about her own path. She enrolled in English and citizenship classes with Literacy Pittsburgh, which was also located in the SHIM South Hills Family Center. She was able to get a green card and then become a US citizen.
“I was happy to join their programs. I didn’t have to be sad because I could learn to speak instead of trying to use body language to express myself.”
Mhra Moe had even bigger dreams and set a goal of completing her GED by the time her youngest daughter started kindergarten. She had completed high school and university in Burma, and she wanted to explore her options. She planned to join the workforce once her children were in school, and she knew she needed the GED completion certificate to help her find a good job.
Getting her GED wasn’t easy. Mhra Moe began taking classes and studying for the test in 2019. The test has four subjects: math, science, social studies, and language arts. While she found the math portion easy, Mhra Moe found the language arts section especially difficult. As a non-native English speaker, much of the subject matter felt challenging and hard to study. She persevered and took her time. In 2021, Mhra Moe successfully completed the math section, followed by the science and social studies sections in 2022. Despite facing a setback with lower scores in 2023, Mhra Moe remained determined to achieve her goal before Literacy Pittsburgh’s May graduation celebration in 2024. In April, she passed the language arts section!
“I’m so excited to have an official diploma from the United States! It is like a dream.”
Now that she has her GED, Mhra Moe is headed to community college to train as a medical assistant. Her career advisor at Literacy Pittsburgh suggested it would be a good fit with plenty of available jobs. She’s chosen a program that is inexpensive and flexible, as transportation and timing are important as she continues to support her three young children.
“If I can do it, you can do it. I didn’t rush while raising kids. As long as you don’t quit, you will get it.”
Mhra Moe attributes her success to patience, highlighting the invaluable support received from SHIM and Literacy Pittsburgh. She also encourages her kids to take advantage of available resources. One of her daughters dreams of being an astronaut.
“I hope they explore for their futures. They’re luckier than us. I don’t want them to have the stress we’ve experienced.”
Neighbors like Mhra Moe show us that the American Dream is more achievable with support from the community. Thanks to SHIM and Literacy Pittsburgh, Mhra Moe felt empowered to set ambitious goals. We’re grateful for the rich diversity that our refugee and immigrant neighbors bring to the South Hills!
Learn more about how we help refugees and immigrants on our Family Support page.
