March 2008-- Artit doesn’t know his exact age (though we think that he is perhaps 17), nor his birthday. All he knows is that he was born on a Sunday in September—His name, after all, translates into “Sunday.” He has lived in Thailand for most of his life, and his school scores are so good he consistently ranks first or second place in class. His mother and father separated years ago. Presently, he lives with his mother and her boyfriend in one of the BRP household clusters. His mother and her boyfriend have a daughter who is now 4 or 5, but Artit has not seen his half-sister in years, because they had trouble getting her back into Thailand the last time they visited family in Burma.

In March of 2005, Artit’s father was killed in a duel in the jungle. The circumstances surrounding this event remain vague. The two BRP social workers are providing counseling to the family, and have offered emergency help if needed.

Artit told us that, as soon as he learned that he had received sponsorship, he went home to tell his mother. She said that with such a ‘scholarship,’ he could study as much as he wants, and go as far as he possibly can. This meshes well with what Artit envisions for himself; to possibly even attend university. This is astounding and wonderful in a community where, as stated earlier, only one or two mothers have any schooling, and all but a few fathers have attended more than three or four years of school. It also exemplifies the high level of trust established between Artit’s family and the BRP, given that these families are rightfully wary and suspicious of many institutions and organizations. This achievement is made all the more poignant by the fact that at one point, three years ago, Artit’s mother had pulled him out of school, stating that she feared retribution from Thais. With help from fellow BRP community families and from the staff social workers, Artit and his mother have not only addressed the obstacles blocking his education, they have thrived while doing so.

Like the other BRP children, Artit is exceedingly polite and always obliging in his demeanor. This is behavior that is well appreciated in Thai society. At school, he consistently receives straight As. This past year, he placed first in his entire grade at school. He always helps his mother in the home, washing dishes and performing household chores. Like most of the children in the BRP community, he also works in the fields during his summer vacation, and sometimes on weekends. He has also served as a novice monk, earning merit for his family in both Shan Burmese and Thai cultures. As a reward, Artit looks forward to opportunities to eat his favorite meal, moogathai, a Thai meal similar to sukiyaki, except that it involves a shared grill in addition to a broth pot. In his spare time, Artit’s favorite hobbies are soccer, table tennis, and paetong, a local game akin to Italian bocce.

His parents had divorced before his father was killed, and a few years ago, his mother married a new man who did not wish to welcome Artit into his family. After Artit's mother gave birth to a new child with her new husband, Artit moved to his cousin Sompong and aunt's one-room hut. Artit's aunt has been incredibly kind in caring for Artit. Still, because Sompong has dropped out of school to be a manual day laborer, there are sometimes household tensions because Artit cannot earn as much money as long as he attends school.

Despite these challenges, Artit continues to thrive. In January 2005, Artit could not name any specific bad thing or event from his past year, despite the fact that his house burned down the week before our interview for this profile, and he lost all of his schoolbooks and clothes. (Luckily, no one was home at the time.) Artit declared that his performance in school was the best thing that happened to him in the past year. He says that he has done fairly well in the past, but never placed above third or fourth in his class, so he feels as if he is improving in school. He is currently in the 8th grade, and he remains at the head of each of his classes.