Nwaye Zar Che Soe was born in the Ayeyarwady Delta in 1973 but grew up in the Moe Kaung Electricity Yard in Ahlone Township in the western part of Yangon where her father worked for the Ministry of Electricity and Energy. Before joining YFS, she ran an internet café and studied for an MA in Social Studies and Sciences. When her husband lost his sight, he and she co-founded the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI), an NGO focusing on raising awareness about people living with disabilities.