In a comical exchange of each others’ childhood mischief stories with a buddy from SAW, we agreed on how much lighter the world seemed on our shoulders as young girls.

Yet, funny how the mood of a conversation can turn within seconds, as we were quickly reminded of just how relative such a statement can be.

“Moses is gone,” she said in a whisper, after a break in the discussion, with her stare firmly on the ground. Moses is a three-year-old boy whose parents both died of AIDS in last couple years. He was one of the children living in the safe house; he was said to be a lovable and unusually sharp boy. In a sudden turn in his health condition, they sent him to the Mae Tao Clinic on Monday. As comfortably as possible, Mae Tao took care of him until Wednesday morning, when he passed away. “This is the first time this has happened. I feel like I can still see his spirit in the house; it is hard to stay there for any length of time…” she said. I wasn’t quite sure what to respond with. I dared not to follow with what was actually going through my head: that there is no excuse that so many children have to feel some of the world’s biggest burdens on their shoulders-- a world of violence, torn families, a lack of a place to call “home”-- before they even hit double digits in age.

Without thinking, I just opened my mouth and prayed something would come out that would break the drained look on her face. “I know this is a hard time; but you can’t forget the countless children, who are given the chance to spend their childhood revolved around laughter, games, and the biggest daily terror being too much homework.” I was relieved that a statement so true was able to make her crack a smile—her humble confirmation of her awareness of SAW’s impact on these children’s lives—knowing that, because of them, so many children have the chance to smile throughout the day and reclaim their pending adulthood.

Not only SAW, but so many groups here on the border are working to alleviate the devastation of this disease. From medical assistance at clinics such as Mae Tao, to general care by women’s groups such as SAW, to prevention efforts by community development groups such as DARE, the risks and consequences of HIV/AIDS are being taken very seriously. And, rightly so-- as the displaced Burmese community is said to be one of the communities with the fastest expansion rate of HIV/AIDS in the world.

We at BBP gladly play our part in building the capacity to deal with the psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, as well as supporting the efforts of some women’s groups in their caretaker roles for the community. Acknowledging the intolerable escalation rate, we hope to develop our role in the community's response to this dilemma.