The real Laos

Across the Mekong from Luang Prabang one enters a different world, away from the relative prosperity and, one might say "disney world" of the world heritage site.  Although the river is only some 300 m wide the wealth gulf is immense.

We had the privilege of visiting the high school in Chomphet district in the company of a group from "A Helping Hand" charity from the Round Table in Perth, Australia who had donated a library to the school through the locally based NGO Community Learning International (CLI) and attend the basti (animist) celebratry ceremony.  Are there really more NGOs''here than in Cambodia?

The new girls'dormitory

CLI had also been responsible for the construction of a 150-bed dormitory for girls from remote hill villages attending the school. Click on the location link to see the exact location of the dormitory (under construction at the time  of the image - now completed).  The library is the roofed building to the south of the dormitory (click on the location link below and zoom well in on satellite view).

Previous (and still used) boarding accommodation

The girls'"parents are reluctant for them to attend the school because of a lack of chaparones and safe accommodation. The present accommodation is 100 or so very basic huts each with a central fireplace, each housing 2-5 students. You can see the huts to the west of the new dormitory on the location image.The stream that is present the source of water and sanitation is  to the west and south of these.  This stream  dries to a trickle in the dry season.






To supplement the new provision there remains a requirement to provide adequate sanitation, a safe water supply i.e well and food preparation facilities for the boarding students.  The school is the only high school in the district. We were told it caters for 2300 students.

Susan's ties of friendship

After the visit the school teachers entertained the group to snacks, various blessings in Lao and the tying of numerous lengths of cotton cord around our wrists - a gesture of friendship











The Book Boat

 Another project run by CLI is the "Book Boat" which travels to remote riverside villages to provide reading books to children who otherwise have no or very limited access to reading material.  We were able to visit Ban Sansouk village some 15 km away with them. 










Avid readers

 Some 100 children came to the riverbank to meet the boat and after some games led by a teacher and one of the volunteers the youngest ones were given pictues to colour while the older ones chose a book from the boat and spent an hour or so reading before the sun became too hot and the boat had to leave. 

For many of the kids this is the only access they have to reading books. At other villages the organisation leaves a "book bag" containing 100 books so that children can borrow them for a longer period.  Bags and/or books to go in them can be purchased at the Luang Prabang library.