CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - When Austin Omin graduated from John Jay High School last year, he was preparing to attend Vanderbilt University and study neuroscience. Instead of heading directly to college, however, the Lewisboro resident chose a different path: spending five months volunteering on the Thai-Burma border with an organization serving refugees and vulnerable communities displaced by war.
What began as a gap-year experience became a life-changing journey that inspired Omin to establish a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting the humanitarian work he witnessed firsthand.
“I realized that I had grown up in a very privileged environment,” Omin said. “I wanted an experience that would open my eyes to a different perspective in the world and allow me to give back to a community that truly needed it.”
After researching volunteer opportunities, Omin connected with Health for All Foundation–Burma Children Medical Fund (HFA-BCMF), an organization based in Mae Sot, Thailand, near the Burmese border. The organization works with refugees and vulnerable populations who often lack access to critical medical care.
In January, Omin boarded a flight to Thailand and traveled to the remote border region. Despite knowing little about Burma or the ongoing humanitarian crisis there, he quickly immersed himself in the community.
“The moment my dad left and headed back home was probably one of the hardest,” Omin recalled. “That was my last connection to home, and suddenly I was fully on my own.”
Those initial fears were eased by the welcoming staff at HFA-BCMF, many of whom had experienced displacement themselves after fleeing violence and instability in Burma, also known as Myanmar.
The country has been engulfed in turmoil since a 2021 military coup that overthrew the elected government. According to United Nations estimates, nearly half of Burma’s population now lives below the poverty line, more than 3.5 million people have been displaced, and over 20 million require humanitarian assistance. The nation’s healthcare system, already struggling before the coup, has been devastated by conflict and attacks on healthcare workers.
HFA-BCMF helps bridge those gaps by funding advanced medical treatment for patients who would otherwise be unable to receive care. The organization works closely with the Mae Tao Clinic, a charitable medical facility that serves refugees and migrant communities along the border.
During his time there, Omin’s primary role involved interviewing patients through translators and writing their stories in English for donor communications, grant reports, and fundraising campaigns.
The work exposed him to realities he had never encountered before.
Many of the patients he interviewed were children suffering from congenital heart disease, a condition that is often routinely treated in developed countries but can become life-threatening when left untreated.
“You would see children who were eight, nine or 10 years old with blue lips and fingertips because they weren’t getting enough oxygen,” Omin said. “These are conditions that could often be corrected with surgery, but they simply didn’t have access to the care.”
He also met patients injured by landmines and conflict, as well as families surviving on the equivalent of just a few dollars a day.
“Every interview made me realize how fortunate we are,” he said. “It was eye-opening and, at times, heartbreaking.”
Beyond the medical stories, Omin said he developed close relationships with coworkers who welcomed him into their homes, taught him to cook traditional Burmese dishes and helped him navigate life in an unfamiliar country.
“They became like family,” he said. “I found a second home there.”
When his volunteer term ended in May, Omin returned to Westchester determined to remain involved. Working in partnership with HFA-BCMF, he founded the HFA-BCMF Forever Fund Foundation, a nonprofit organization designed to create a permanent endowment supporting the group's humanitarian efforts.
The concept is simple: donations are invested into an endowment fund, with approximately 5 percent distributed annually to HFA-BCMF while the remainder continues to grow. Omin hopes the model will provide the organization with a reliable source of funding for decades to come.
“I couldn't just come home and leave it behind,” he said. “I felt a responsibility to use the opportunities and connections I have here to help.”
To raise awareness and support for the initiative, Omin has organized two local events this summer.
An informational presentation and question-and-answer session will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, at the Katonah Village Library. Omin will discuss his experiences in Thailand and share video footage from his time on the border. RSVP for the event HERE.
A fundraiser will follow from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, at The Boro Café & Market. The event will include a presentation, video screening, silent auction and opportunities to learn more about the Forever Fund and HFA-BCMF's work. RSVP for the event HERE.
For Omin, the goal is not only to raise money but also awareness of a humanitarian crisis that remains largely unknown to many Americans.
“I knew almost nothing about Burma before I went,” he said. “Now I want to make sure people know what's happening there and understand that there are ways they can help.”
To learn more about the HFA-BCMF Forever Fund Foundation, visit hfabcmfforeverfund.org
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