Hi Everyone and thank you so much for your donations. Thought you might like to know a little more about Mabel so here is an excerpt from the funeral pamphlet:
Democracy protester, teacher, street trader, much loved mother, friend and workmate, feeder of thousands. There are so many ways to describe Mabel, the wonderful woman who died on July 10th and whose life we are celebrating today. We will all remember her for different things; her huge pride in her five children; her wonderful food; her active role in the Burmese Christian church in Auckland; her uncritical friendship with a wide range of different people; and her infectious enthusiasm, optimisim, and love of life - even when things were tough.
And Mabel's life wasn't always easy.
Born on March 15th 1966 in Rangoon, Burma, she moved to Mayangone Village as a teenager, where her father died of tuberculosis. She studied hard and won a University place to study geography. The in 1988, during her second year of studies, Mabel joined the student democracy uprising, fighting the regime in the All Burma Student's Domocratic Front for three years from camps in jungles, where she met and married Aye Zaw. The struggle continued from the Thai border town of Mae Sot, where Mabel taught Burmese and English to local children and ran a food stall, the first step in a life time of cooking delicious food for the people around her.
Over the next nine years, Mabel and Aye Zaw moved around Thailand and their first three children were born, Michelle, Daniel and Marian. Aye Zaw was working for the rebel movement intelligence service, a position that became increasingly unstable and dangerous as the Thai government cracked down on Burmese living in their country. Mabel and six year old Michelle even spent time in a Thai gaol after being picked up by the police and only got out after Mabel bribed the guards.
In 1999 the family was forced to move into a camp for former Burmese student fighters, a place that was prison. And in 2000 they were granted refugee status in New Zealand - Mabel having turned down America which she felt wouldn't be the best place to raise her family.
Two more children were born in New Zealand, Samuel and Richelle. Mabel took classes in English and computing. Mabel became increasingly involved in the Christian community in Auckland and got much joy from her faith, as well as good friends. But New Zealand also brought the difficulties and frustrations of a new immigrant - language and cultural barriers, lack of money, difficult finding a job, struggles with bureaucracy to get what she needed, coping with a large family in a strange country. Quite apart from fiercely missing her Mum, brother, niece and other relatives in Burma.
She kept positive and optimistic throughout. She was someone who could make the best of a situation however difficult and make life fun for others too.
Finally in 2016, Mabel started working for a cleaning company at Pakuranga College. Within weeks she offered a promotion to Supervisor, instead to make ends meet she took a second job at Loft Foods, the company providing ingredients for My Food Bag. She loved her job, colleagues and bosses and looked forward to more responsibility. She worked hard and enjoyed being able to take her children shopping and buy more food.
She aspired to take her children to Myanmar where she was born and to introduce them to their Grandmothers.
Sadly this was not to happen. On July 8th Mabel went to bed with a fever, but she was still making plans for dinner with church friends the following day. Shockingly, she collapsed at home at 2am on Monday morning and died in her children's arms. She was just 51.
Mabel, your family and friends loved you and can't believe you are no longer here with us. We will all miss you so much.
