Boy from Burma

A lot of kids I see here look like they have dirty faces. But their faces aren't dirty at all! They're covered with a yellow powder. It's thanakha (pronounced tahn-i-kuh) powder.

Thanakha powder is made from the bark of the thanakha tree. People who live in Thailand and Burma take the bark off the thanakha tree, smush it up with some water, and then put the golden paste on their skin. People say it feels really good and smells pretty. Women wear it like makeup and to protect their skin from the sun. Kids also wear it as sunscreen on their foreheads, noses, cheeks and arms.



This little boy has thanaka powder on his face. I met him in a Burmese refugee camp where he has been living since he was born. He doesn't have any electricity in his house. Since his Mom and Dad don't have any lights to turn on, they have to light candles to see at night.

Candles are very dangerous here because the homes are all made of bamboo and most of them have roofs made of overlapping attap palm leaves. Also, the homes are very close together, which means if one house catches fire, all the homes could quickly burn down. That's why the leader in this village is starting a solar project. Pretty soon, the sun will provide the electricity in this boy's house, and his family will have lights! This is very exciting for all the people living here.

The kids here have a big playground with swings, see saws and slides, and they play with balls made out of bamboo. This little boy is about to go down the slide!