What a trip! Three different cities in four days...and I found pubic hair on my hotel bed again. Where is UW taking us? 
We stopped at the infamous Golden Triangle, known as the center of the world's illicit drug trade (and also where Thailand, Laos and Burma meet). We went to an Opium Museum, which taught us about the history of opium and the impacts of illegal drugs...
On the boat down the Mekong River..only four hours away from China!
Stopover in Laos
The land on the left is Thailand, the mountains in the back is Burma, and the land on the right is Laos 
In the town of Maesai next to the Burma border..the bridge is Burma, but underneath is Thailand 
At Empower, an organization for female sex workers. The staff (some are former sex workers) go to karaoke bars and restaurants to build relations with the workers and owners to tell them about activities at Empower, such as self defense, human rights, HIV testing and counseling, languages, or other activites such as dress making for supplemental income. The health care given here is more respectful than at a hospital because of the stigma. Most of these women at this branch of Empower are Burmese. It was amazing to see the friendship and sisterhood among these individuals.
At a child development center for Burmese children. My teacher on the right. By the way, she took us to a "delicious Burmese buffet". I didn't know chicken a la carte was burmese!  Soooo not authentic!!!
This organization was very touching. Before coming to this organization, the children spent their time on the Thai-Burma border begging for money. Their parents offered their kids drugs in order to give them the courage to beg for money from tourists. Once they get the money, they use it to feed their own drug addiction. If the children are unsuccessful, they will get hit. These children are able to cross the Burma border secretely by jumping into the river.
The organization also emphasizes life skills for their children, such as their rights. The only way that they know is to listen to their parents. They believe parents have the right to force them to beg on the street. Neither the Burma government or the Thai government want to reach out to these kids, so the organization does it. The organization works on good relations with the parents, for example, by encouraging them to allow their children to get an education because that will get them more money than begging. With the paretns' permission, the center can give them a new opportunity.
The organization also rescues children who are about to be trafficked by picking up on local gossip. Sometimes the organization will act as a fake agent and pay the parents for the child. How much are parents willing to get for their children? In one case, a mom was willing to sell three of her children for a little over 10 USD so that she could get drugs.
I'm so glad these children have a better life 
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