Most people don’t go out of their way to visit our patch in the slums, known as “70 Rai,” between the port and a spaghetti bowl of highway on-and-off ramps.

Taxi drivers tend to refuse fares to 70 Rai. They say it’s not worth the risk.

It’s true, 70 Rai has earned its reputation as a nexus of drugs and crime the hard way – by having more than its fair share of both. But it’s also true that during the day and much of the night, Moms, Grandmas, and kids rule the streets.