The other side of poverty?

Now, see the caption below. How often have we seen these type of pleas for help. We grew up hearing these type of melancholic wailing and sobbing and 40 years forward, nothing has changed. Still the same old, same old, helplessness and hopelessness. Something is just not right. These small people are walking the tightrope of life with no social safety net below them. That is why we have leaders to be their mouthpiece to demand their place in the sun, on earth. If you do not see any change, something is wrong somewhere in the system, the delivery or the subjects!

Now, just the other day, as my friend visited his usual den in his usual Chinese restaurant, the usual Myanmarese helper came to take his order. But this time, helper told him that that was his last day there and that he was to off to US with a green card and that one round of drinks was on him.

Picture blanked to save identity!

They sat down to hear his story. He landed in Malaysia as an UN refugee without the ability to utter a single word of English. He started helping around in restaurants, helping and doing odd jobs. On the side he started
learning English. He also started a provision shop to cater for fellow Myanmarese's needs. To further boost his income, he did some money-lending for a fee. At the height of his 'career', he used to earn up to RM20,000 per month; and that is excluding the bribes to the authorities (police and immigration) who harassed him incessantly, pilfering up to RM5,0000 in a month!
He was 28years old when he came and in 12 short years, he made himself a fortune and was heading over to  the land of opportunities. It only makes one wonder what he will achieve there!
Do one have to live in fear of prosecution to succeed in life? Are natives at a disadvantage compared to refugees? Do we have to be refugees to succeed?