She was sleeping. If my memory serves me well, she wore a bright T-shirt and beige tights. By her size I guess she was four years old. Her face was clean, hair shiny black and parted on the side, like she had just bathed. She was beautiful, resting on the split bamboo floor like some Karen angel.
Rose hoped up the stoop behind her bamboo shack with a bowl of rice and a plate of curry for us to share. “You must be very hungry.” she said as she set down the dishes. This was our fourth visit to Sho-Klo camp and Rose had already become a fast friend to my wife and I.
As I drew my spoon out of the yellow curry I asked her who the little girl in the corner was.
The photo of this little girl was taken in August 2011. She is a refugee in Kachin State (IDP) because of Burma Army attacks on her family village in North Burma. I don't have a picture of the 30 dollar child, but I think of her all the time. We started our work with one little girl and 30 dollars. We continue the same way today: one life and one step at a time.
Rose laughed. It was unsettling and out of context. She did that whenever an awkward or disturbing moment arrived. She looked down at her fingers, looked up at me, and began “Our soldiers brought her to me.” And then added, “As far as they know, this little girl is the only known survivor from her village.”
Rose said that the village was attacked, burned down, and deserted a week prior; that KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army) soldiers were sent to document the event, try to determine what happened, and help survivors if any were to be found.
When they arrived they found the remains of a rice-growing village. Walking through the rubble they heard a sound, followed it, and discovered the source: it was this little girl.
“Maybe her parents were killed. Maybe they were sure they would be caught and hid the child, but kept running to divert their attention from their beautiful daughter.”
Rose paused. We hadn’t eaten the steaming rice in front of us. The little girl kept sleeping, curled in a ball like a kitten.
They soldiers carried her for a few days to the Moi River, crossed into Sho Klo refugee camp, and walked the trails along the sho Klo river to St. James Anglican Church. Next to the church was the bamboo shelter belonging to Rose. The little girl was left in Rose’s arms.
We showed up the next day.
Rose finished the narrative and looked up into my eyes. She said, “Steve, please tell your friends in the west what is happening to the children of Burma. Ask them to pray and help so that I can start a home for children like this one.”
Breaking through the granite of my self-centered hypocrisy was this wonderful life in the arms of a woman who herself had survived tremendous pain before arriving on the border. The little girl sleeping on her floor was vulnerable in so many ways and needed nurture and protection. Rose was willing to take her in but she needed a Partner in the project –someone to help provide the basics for this new member of her family.
“Will you help me Steve and Oddny?”
We calculated the cost of care for Rose to become her foster mother. Flip flops, school fees, an umbrella, supplemental food, clothes. Total Cost: 30 dollars. We went through the numbers twice, three times. The result was that it would cost Rose a total of 30 US dollars to provide comprehensive care for this little girl for an entire year.
“Yes.”
Normal Is Over. 
Rose was blessed by the Lord to have friends like you both to faithfully to keep the love flowing. Keep stirring the pot . we are having a Rock for Burma show april 20 followed by a run for relief on the 21st along with a mission fest at alaska land. We are always looking for more teammates. Thank you for speaking for the voiceless .
Hi Steve,
You have stopped me in my tracks with this story. Even when I consider that you will be using US$, $30 is only about NZ$50 and it is hard to comprehend that this is all it would cost to help a child refugee for a year.
While closely following the political wranglings over ceasefires that seem to be ignored by the army and the general neglect of entire peoples in Burma I feel powerless. Here you make it more concrete and real – the change which can be achieved at what to me is a small cost. I know that giving money alone cannot fix everything, but giving nothing is inexcusable.
Thank you for becoming partners!
Mike, thanks for your words – they mirror the way I felt that day in 1994. It did cost 30 dollars back then, but now it costs more. I guess like 50 dollars per month. But the care we give those children now is comprehensive, as is the support we provide for the caregivers in the camps. We have roughly 1000 children living in 10 homes in 8 refugee camps – it all started with 30 dollars!
Great story. Glad I was there with you!