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Teamwork in Northern Thailand
Bob Squeri is a one man foundation. He travels the world helping communities in need. Our Free To Play director, Jeremy Howell, introduced me to Bob, and soon we were brainstorming of ways that he could partner with Not For Sale. I asked if he could help us build a safe house for trafficked kids along the border of Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand. As you know, we have already helped a remarkable Thai woman, Kru Nam, build a village for over 120 children. We are now helping her to on more urgent care cases along the border. Bob is currently in Northern Thailand helping with the safe house construction. Here’s his report:
Kru Nam…what a remarkable women. You think you have met heroes in your day, well you must meet Kru Nam. What she has done with her budget is pretty amazing. You have to see here in action and she is with the street children whom are mainly from Burma. I would like to tell you about one of them. Her name is Chimee.
She came to Kru Nam from the streets of Burma, where she was begging for money for her mom’s drug problem, which in this area is Opium, of course. One day Chimee’s sister didn’t earn enough money from begging so the mom got mad and poured burning hot water on her arms. You should she her scars. Kru Nam heard about this, and rushed to the area of Mai Sai, near the Burma Border and met the mom. She negotiated with the mom and for 800 baht (roughly around 22 US Dollars) she was able to purchase little Chimee. She is now safe with us at the children’s village.
The problem Kru Nam has with children like Chimee is they don’t have papers, so it has to be done through the underground and you have to sneak them across the border. That can be dangerous because of the government of Burma and outlaw pirates. We went to where Chimee’s mom lives was which is a area filled with the drug gangs. When we were there a kid who was in one of the gangs and is a friend of Kru Nam’s, drove up on a motor bike and warned her that we should get out of there. So we left before we could make a deal for Chimee’s sister. Her mom has sold all 8 of her children – some of whom are in the sex trade – to support her drug habit. Just think… Chimee is only 4 years old, comes up to my knee, and she was already begging for money. In the next few years she would have been sold for sex if Kru Nam didn’t save her.
On a good note her smile would knock your socks off, and she has been at the school for only 6 months, and doing great. So put Kru Nam in your prayers because she is truly an angel who walks this earth. I’m lucky to have met her and in some small way because of your donations and prayers we have helped these kids.
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