About Me
I’m Sia Moua, and I’m building Refugee Made. This project has been years in the making, refined through countless conversations with friends and others who’ve helped shape the vision.
I was born in Ban Vinai, a Thai refugee camp that hosted families fleeing Laos after the Vietnam War. My mother, like many other Hmong women, earned income through embroidered story cloths (paj ntaub) sold in Western countries such as the U.S. Those textiles weren’t just crafts. They were income, stability, and proof that commerce can create opportunity even when traditional systems exclude you.
That experience, paired with what I’ve learned from years spent studying and engaging with professionals working in development and displacement, is why I built Refugee Made. Displacement doesn’t end when people cross borders. For many, it continues for decades, and the ability to earn income is what sustains dignity through those years in limbo.
What I Bring
I’ve spent more than 15 years developing programs and strategies across communications, international development, and social impact, which has taken me through tech, financial services, and retail. I hold a Master’s in Sustainable International Development and a Bachelor’s in International Studies and Communication.
Just as important, I bring lived experience. I’ve seen my community turn creativity and resourcefulness into livelihoods under impossible circumstances.
Refugee Made combines that personal foundation with professional expertise to build something different: a brand that positions refugee makers as entrepreneurs and innovators, not aid recipients.
Why This Matters
For refugees, whether living in camps or cities, opportunities to earn income are often limited. In many host countries, encampment refugees face restrictions on movement and formal work, while urban refugees frequently turn to the informal economy with few protections and little stability.
Refugee Made takes a market-driven approach to changing that. We start with what already exists — the goods, skills, and small businesses that refugee makers have built — and develop partnerships that help those products reach markets where quality and design are valued.
It’s not about selling emotion or charity. It’s about creating products that people genuinely want in their homes and lives. Products are chosen first for their design and everyday usability; the refugee story adds meaning but never compromises on quality or aesthetics.
That’s how livelihoods become sustainable: when commerce supports creativity, and impact lasts beyond a single purchase. Refugee Made is building those pathways by connecting modern global design with the innovative spirit of refugee makers and entrepreneurs worldwide.
The Journey Ahead
I’ll be on the ground from November 2025 through early 2026 in Thailand, Malaysia, Ethiopia, and Uganda to advance partnerships and finalize goods for our first collection.
I’ll share updates from the field along the way — the process, the learning, and the people shaping what Refugee Made will become. You can follow along by joining the email list for periodic updates or on Instagram for more frequent glimpses behind the scenes.