Busaamba

Hello. My name is Busasmba (named changed to protect identity) . I am 12 years old. I live at the Providence Foundation in Chiang Saen, Thailand. My aunt brought me here from Myanmar when I was 7. Last month, an American man and his wife came to visit us. They are kind and friendly. They have a restaurant at Chiang Mai, near the hospital. They taught us how to cook vegetarian dishes. We helped to do what we could. They made many types of food. There were so many dishes. We could eat so many different foods. I have never eaten such tasty food. All of it was so delicious. I don’t know the names of all the food that we tasted. My friends and I enjoyed it so much. We were all so happy.

That day, I was so happy. But I thought about my life with my mother in Myanmar. She is blind. My father has drug problems. My mother had no house to stay at. We stayed outside. Sometimes, we would wash and sleep at the public toilets. We begged for food at public places, but often had no food.

Mother could not see, but she knew when I was near. She would speak to me. Sometimes she would hug me and hold me close. Sometimes when she was very sad, she would weep silently, her tears falling on me. She was crying because of me.

After the wonderful meal on that day, I cried because I thought of Mother. I wished she could have this meal. I pray to God that she will have food and not have to beg any more.

At the Foundation, I have many friends. I am learning to play the flute. If I can see my mother again, I want to play for her. Perhaps we will both cry, but this time, with tears of joy.