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On behalf of Laovices.com and Houay Laou Elementary school in Pakse, Champassak province, I want to thank the Friends of the National Library of Laos (my co-workers) for making it possible for us to deliver our 9th Books Box; with your generous support, we were able to give the gift of learning.
Darly wrote a post at Laovoices.com that describes the condition of the schooling in Laos, and also a special thanks below,
The parents and students are grateful and happy to know there are people outside Laos that care a great deal about them. They sent their big Thanks and warm regards. The students at Houay Laou Elementary school are eager to learn and you can see their enthusiasm as they surrounded the book box, trying to get a piece of the action. Please visit the Gallery for more photos of the book box delivery to Houay Laou Elementary school.
I was pleased to see the progress of the school project that my co-workers and I help support. For some of you that have seen the name Friends of NLL as a donor to Book Box Fund, and Dannavieng School Building Project in the past, those are money from my co-workers; they’re kind enough to help support in what I’m doing.
When Darly first introduced the project to us, I didn’t know how I’d raise money to help at the time, the only thing that I’m good at is making spring rolls which I’ve been making it for the last 10 years or so in helping raising money for the March of Dime, and Christmas for the Salvation Army Angel Tree, and this year, in placed of the Angel Tree, we decided to help sponsor the orphanage at the Children’s Home in our area, hoping to sponsor 30 children. When I first introduced the idea to my co-workers, beside from raising money for above causes, I also want to raise money to help with the school in Laos; which the only thing that Laovoices.com (formerly known as Laoplanet.net) support last year was the Book Box, and that’s how the name Friends of National Library of Laos came about, it was Darly’s idea; my co-workers loved the idea and I’ve been making a lot more spring rolls since; I’ve gotten more orders than I’d fill.
Some of my co-workers have been asking me about the building project, that if I need more money, but I think they just want to eat my spring rolls, but the intention is all the same, they want to help, thanks for supporting. One Book Box is being delivered as we’re speaking, I’ll keep you update on this and post as soon as I’ve photos from Darly.
Darly has posted an update at Laovoices.com, and this is part of her post,
Bane Dannavieng, in Champassack Province. The new elementary school is not quite completed but has made a big progress thanks to the contributors to the project. The school now has a roof over the 8×50 meters building, which will hold 6 classrooms to be utilized for many years to come. At present, the piles of red dirt you see in the photos will be used as the floor foundation. Below are photos from the school’s officials with a note of big THANK YOU, to all who made this possible.
When I first introduced Big Brother Mouse (BBM), I didn’t expect many questions over the matter and only wrote on my post at Laovoices.com and also my blog that “I don’t know a lot about them”, but ignorance on my part is no excuse and I feel that I owe to my readers an apology for not finding out more about them.
When I first saw their web site, I was impressed with their overall appearance, well written, and very professional looking. I recently received an e-mail of concern from one of my readers, which made me decide to write this post, to be a bit more transparent, to shed more light as to who is who? So who is this BBM?
Please read the rest of the post at Laovoices.com.
I want to thank TENPA, at Digital Tibetan Buddhist Altar for posting an intro to my blog; it’s such an honor for me. I’m learning about Buddhism as I’m writing, if there’s any misconception of my understanding of Buddhism, please do advice.
I’ve been following Darly’s postings on her elephant hunt, she is so lucky to have lived in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and able to see the elephant parade while some of us could only see it in photos. I love elephant and collect anything that’s related to elephant.
My first counter with real live elephants was when I attended elementary school in Thailand, we had school event called Vanh Dek, or children’s day and we had a soccer game with the baby elephant, and I’m not sure who won, us or the baby elephant, but one thing for sure, the baby elephant can really kick the soccer ball. I also sat on the mommy elephant’s trunk; she formed it into a U shape. I was about 8 years old at the time.
Elephant Parade Rotterdam takes place from September 1 until November 17 2007. It is an initiative of Marc and Mike Spits (father and son), it’s a worldwide event created to make people aware of the fact that in Asia elephants are an endangered species, which supports the elephant through the sale and auction of Elephant Parade products, and create awareness for elephants through the Elephant Parade. Its mission is to help save the elephants; a world without elephants is unimaginable but can become reality.
After getting somewhat of a critical comment on my post, ‘Please Help Give Lao Children A Chance’ at Laovoices.com, (also posted here) I can overlook at the fact that the individual’s opinion doesn’t reflect the whole organization, just as she generalized her view of Lao people living in the US, of who she thought we are, and NO we’ve not forgotten about our Lao brothers and sisters in Laos.
I wrote the post with good intention, but I find that she’s not happy with it mainly because I’m not praising them to the grave, sorry that I’m not good at that, if your intention of helping is pure, you’d not need me to do that.
I’ve every intention to post this article from my local newspaper, to me, spreading the word is also a part of giving back to our Lao community.
Nonprofit raises money to support education centers in remote, poverty-stricken areas of Laos.
By Jennifer Menster, record staff writer
Dori Shimoda went to northern Laos with intentions of backpacking through remote villages. He came back from his December 1999 trip with a newly discovered life project.
Out of Shimoda’s desire and passion to help children, Give Children a Choice was up and running by 2002. The nonprofit raises money to build preschools in poverty-stricken areas in Laos.
I wrote this post at Laovoices.com, and would like to also post here for Nye Noona readers that might not have normally visited Lao Voices.
When I did a post on Give Children A Choice February 2007 Trip To Laos and Cambodia, I have had mixed feelings. I’m very happy to see that there’re people out there that are kind enough to think of our little country, of our children and they see the importance of education, this gives me hope for better future. Then I thought how could they be so successful, one of my American friends said that it’s because everyone want to get on the band-wagon, the more famous that they are, the more people will support them, look at Oprah Winfrey Building a Dream: The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, she has a deep pocket, and has many supporters. She is giving back to her people, her children, I think very highly of what she is doing.
Most of us that created websites, whether it’s in myspace, blog format, website of artists or writers, we all want to promote of who we are, our culture. I find myself doing the same thing, even promoting the cultures of our neighboring countries because of the similarity to our own culture. Many Lao websites or Lao magazines are trying to display or highlight the success of many Laotians, the ones that we applaud because they represent our people well, to show the world that we’re as successful as any other ethnic groups, someones that we’re proud of. As I came across many Lao blogs, Lao websites, and Lao magazines, I’m happy to see many names and different professions that Laotians represent, they’re the ones that made it. I often think back to those that didn’t make it, those that might never have that opportunity and chance, only if some of us would give them that chance, a little hope, those are the children in Laos.
Laoplanet.net has been a supporter of Book Box Fund, National Library of Laos, for several years now, we have had members and readers that help fund the program so that we could purchase books for children in Laos, and we’ve done the best that we could, but I think that we could do more. Since our website has gone through a transformation, from the old Laoplanet.net, a forum format, to Laovoices.com, a blog format, and I’m sure that we’ve attracted new readers that might not be aware of our programs. Please check our Book Box Fund section, your help doesn’t have to be in the form of monetary donation, it’d be through word of mouths, and for those that have blogs or websites, any thoughtful gesture will greatly be appreciated, if we don’t help our children to become better adults, what’s the point of trying to promote our Lao culture; eventually it might be just one of the legends that’s told to us when we’re little.
It’s commonly understood that once a person is buried, it is considered a final resting place for most culture, but not for the Thai and Lao culture as I’ve heard and understood. As for this story told by Pah Un, Wat Don Cemetery is located in Sathon district in Bangkok, Thailand. It’s well known in the area, and the graveyard contains burial remains of people of Chinese heritage. It is mainly for those that pass away and have no relatives to come and claim their bodies, such as those that die of a sudden death like a car accident or any type of accident, which is considered ‘Tai Hong’, and their bodies would be buried here temporary until being dug back up again to be cleaned, and performed a final ceremony of cremation, those spirits would then consider to be rested in peace. I think it’s a bit shocking to the Westerners, but very common practice in the Southeast Asia region.
This was a story told by Pah Un…
I remember seeing something similar to this on TV, where they would take skeletons, which I remember vividly, was seeing the skull and other parts and washed it in an aluminum basin, very similar to washing vegetables, or clothing, but how they actually are doing it, I’ve never seen. I wanted to be a part of it, probably would get all kinds of ‘Boun’ (charity), as they promised in their poster, at the moment I’m just full of greed for ‘Boun’.
After putting some thoughts into it, I called and asked my friends to join me for such a noble events, to go and clean, clear a cemetery. I tried to explain the process to them as best I could without scaring them. I asked, asked, and asked; surprisingly none would volunteer to go with me. The majority would say that they are afraid of ghost, afraid that the image might stay in their mind, afraid that they wouldn’t be able to go to sleep, and even asked if I’m not afraid. I told them that there’s nothing to be afraid of because the events will take place during the daytime, but bottom line, they all told me ‘If you’re not afraid, then go by yourself!’
I think community service is a great way to give back to our local community. People become involved in community service for a range of reasons, for some, serving community is altruistic act, for others it is a punishment. I’m going to talk about the altruistic act only because I think it’s noble for someone to give up their time and energy for the benefits of others. The one person that I marvel and think should be recognize for her good deeds is Darly, the founder of Laovoices.com. Darly recently visited Laos and donated boxes of books through her Book Box Fund program to the less fortunate children in Laos, she is happy to report back to us that,
‘I delivered $800.00 to Ms. Kongdeuane Nettavong. Director, National Library of Laos for 4 LP Book Boxes. They didn’t have enough material in stock to finish the 4 boxes. I was told that they will assemble our book boxes as of Monday, February 12th, 2007. All of the book boxes will be delivered to the assigned schools with in a month. I gave a list to the following schools to have the book boxes delivered to:
One in Muang Sikhotabong, Bane Akat
One in Muang Pakse, Bane Phonsikhay
One in Muang Phone Thong, Bane Danavieng
One in Muang Phone Thong, Bane Nong Dong’
For a young person, Darly is ready to do her next project; this is what she said based on her observation of Laos’s schooling system,
‘After my visit to Laos and especially to Champasak province I want to start a new project. Since the book boxes will be delivered to the school in the area, I want to help with building a school or at least a library for the school those book boxes are given to.
It was really sad to visit the school of my cousins and to see the state of the building. Most of the relatives in our family in Champasak province are teachers and are the ones pushing for building a new school. I told them that I will help them with what I can.’
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