Village Trips with Guests to Meung Xuen, Huey Hang and Had Houan
Just a couple of days after our previous group headed home, the next group arived from Canada, and Thailand.
From Front to Back; Tar (Thailand), Mike (Canada), Christine (Canada), Kevin (Canada), Keo, Siphan and Somnuek (Laos)
First stop was to the village of Meung Xuen, a rural village across the Ou river where we had provided a permanent water supply a few years earlier. With our pilot project to try to get more girls to attend secondary school, now over, it was decided this village would be an ideal location for the next phase.
The men did not participate in the feminine hygiene training of course so Keo (Siphan’s girlfriend) and Christine were delighted to participate. Siphan was there to assist in the translation for Christine.
The girls were pretty happy to receive the feminine pads and we asked them to contact their friends who are not going to school, to enroll in School for September.
With an overnight stay in Nong Khiaw, we headed downriver by boat to the villages of Houay Hang and Had Huan. In both villages we also delivered replacement pipe and other materials so their dams could be repaired or replaced. Had Huan is ongoing and pictures will be posted in the near future. Our guests were truly impressed with the villages and their culture.
Both villages performed for us. Here are a couple of highlites. It was a bit of a challenge to distribute filters to both villages in one day, as they really wanted to celebrate their good fortune and offer their gratitude.
Keo, with one of the dancers
This is just one of over 150 systems distributed that day.
Unfortunately, not many pictures were taken in these villages, due to the flurry of trying to get a picture of every family with their filter. More will be provided upon the conclusion of the water projects.