I was born in Yangon and even though I only lived there for the first 12 years of my life, I always feel at home when I return. It is a sense of belonging. This feeling grows stronger on every visit. My formative years in Myanmar have shaped the person that I am today and for that I will always be grateful.

I thought for my birthday this year, 2020, I wanted to return my gratefulness in a way that improves peoples' lives. I decided to make monetary contributions to several Burmese organizations in order to help fund their programs.

-Joseph Ong