I was a stranger to the family.

Hello readers, I am not good at storytelling, but I will endeavor to share my life story with you. I am the eighth daughter of a poor family and identify as a man despite being born in a female body. My name is Nanthana Sisombath, I am 36 years old now I work for mining company in Laos and now I still reside in Laos.

Twenty years ago, I was born and raised in the southern part of Laos with nine siblings, including six older sisters, one older brother, and a younger sister. Our daily life was typical of other poor families in the country. My father was a low-paid soldier and my mother, with limited education, worked as a farmer. Every day, she would go to the forest to gather items to sell in the market so that we could have food to eat.

As a child, I spent most of my time with my father because he was the only person who understood and accepted me for who I am. I attended school wearing trousers instead of the mandatory skirt for female students.

One day, my father made the decision to leave the military. He then sought employment with a private company. In order to take on this new role, he would need to relocate to another province. This meant I would be separated from my father, and the unfortunate story began.

I live independently and struggle to navigate life without my father's presence. After completing primary school, I must commute 3 kilometers from my home I have to walk for 5 KM to attend secondary school. Sadly, I am prohibited from wearing trousers at the school.

Three years later, my father fell ill and had to leave his job. It took around three months, and he eventually passed away. After losing the head of the family, my mother couldn't find the money to support our education. She had to make the difficult decision to send only one child to school, and my older brother was chosen to continue his studies. All the female children had to leave school, and four of my older sisters were forced to go to Thailand to find work, None of us want to go to Thailand, so we decide to earn money for our education.

My mum sent 3 of my older sisters to live with her sibling. The other 3 older sisters found jobs in a restaurant, sometimes bringing leftover food home. My younger sister and I work at a wood saw company on weekends.

Every day, I watch with tears in my eyes as I envy my brother for having the opportunity to go to school. I tell myself that I must find a way to return to school. Years later, my life took a turn when my father's sibling adopted me. They enrolled me in school, and I was thrilled to wear the new uniform. My adoptive parent emphasized that my father wanted me to have the best education possible, 

After completing high school, I enrolled in college and graduated with a major in engineering. I also worked part-time to earn money. Later, I moved to live in the dormitory on my own. Since my father was far away, I did not receive any support from my family. The world was harder, and I had no one to share my feelings and dreams with. Even now, I still feel that my father has been with me every time and everywhere. I hope to meet him again someday. He is my superhero and has left me with good memories.

Share - I was a stranger to the family.