From Wednesday morning until Thursday afternoon Robert Anderson, Chanta, Tom, Myself and books took a trip from Luang Prabang (LP) to Nong Kiau. On the route would be three schools and one potential future project site. The trek is paved and the four of us would be driving up in a truck. Sitting in the back of the truck gave an interesting perspective of the countryside. We started our drive at 8:30am and the weather was cool. the drive is through a few villages most of which are no deeper than a house or two off of the main road. As you can see by the pictures posted before.
An hour and a half or so into the drive we drove through Nam Bak one of the larger cities on the route. We would stop on our way back tomorrow. We did stop at Nam Thouam. This was my first foray into the meetings that CLI is involved in. We pulled off the main highway down a local road the turned into a major complex which houses a large school which has around 2400 students and a CLI funded Community Learning Center/Library. As we drove in a PE class was going on a some children were stretching and others were doing a long jump of sorts but running into a large sunken pit. Tom and I jumped out of the truck and carried some boxes of books (aka our foot rests) into the library. The meeting consisted of our travel group and two librarians(pictured in the post below). It was interesting to see how much the people appreciated all the work CLI had done. Mr. Anderson then asked about anything they would need help with in the future and they presented some ideas. The meeting ended they opened the boxes and we headed on our way.
On the way to Nong Kiau we needed to take a break to "shoot the rabbit". Shoot the rabbit is what the Lao say for using the restroom on the road. Next time you use whatever slang you may use think about shooting the rabbit.
We arrived at the city of Nong Kiau. Nong Kiau is a small city that is cut down the middle by the Mekong river. A majority of the city is on south side and many different houses/bungalows are on the high banks of the river. With the high banks of the river and the high mountains that seem to appear out of nowhere it is quickly becoming a tourist destination. After lunch we pulled into the school to see the Community Learning Center CLI built with the NGO Pencils of Promise based out of the US. This building (pictured below) may be the piece de resistance for CLI. Not only is it in a picturesque location but is a beautiful 2 room school house run by 3 very capable librarians and is set to expand. This meeting was similar to the last except a local official showed up. Khomdy and Mr. Anderson have a great rapport and have worked so well in the past. They discussed some upcoming projects such as a few new schools and a local well for a village in the area. We retired for the night after a nice Indian dinner.
Nong Kiau is also home base for the second library boat. This boat is captained by a Lao man who looks 17 yet is actually in his 40's. The boat was 42 stops which it makes regularly bringing books to remote villages some only reachable by the water. We meet with the captain after driving out to a village which maybe a future project site for CLI (Pictured). This site is a 2km drive up a road to a village that is very tiny with stilted homes and no industry and maybe only 10 families. The school house is in need of repair. The captain ask for a pad to sleep on at night like one that you would use for camping and that was all he asked for.
We rolled out of Nong Kiau heading to Nam Bak with "Green Onions" on the Ipod. Truly setting the feeling as we drove through rice paddies, mountains, and tiny villages.
Nam Bak is a larger city with a huge school. CLI has a library here and this meeting had more local representatives asking for a new library so they could use the current one as a classroom. The new library would take over the current petanque court. Which they are happy to move! This school is going to be one of the main sites of the running program so we discussed that for a while and they were happy to help out when Tom and I head back up in a few weeks.
Having taken all of Toms seat away we headed back to LP and waved at kids as we went. Something is funny about falang riding in the truck bed for a reason. We arrived at home feeling as though I now have hands on experience in how CLI deals and what meeting are like. My Lao even allowed me to understand 1% of what I heard which is nice.
More updates to come later.
2 comments:
David,
I am so excited your are involved in this literacy project! Your posts are wonderful to read, and very vivid! Thanks for sharing!
Barb, Scott and Cora
David,
Thanks from CLI for your blog - though now I have yet another thing to read! I've enjoyed your early posts. Some amusing stuff here and some very good photos.
To any Laos "experts" who encounter David's blog, sure, there will be a few errors in relating place names or aspects of Lao culture. Inevitable and unimportant. What we have here is a chance to share in the experiences of a young guy as he encounters Laos over a period of months. Fresh eyes, and not looking just at the Laos of tourism in Vientiane and Luang Prabang towns but at some of the life of rural Laos, where more than 80% of the people live. Go David!
RE CLI (Community Learning International), David's host/sponsor, one minor point. Our focus is not literacy, though improved ability to read and write is a byproduct of what we do. Which is "education," broadly defined. To support the formal education system (a system that varies from nonexistent to meager to basic) we: start and support school libraries; circulate more than 100 "book bags," mini libraries of 200 Lao books each, to village schools; we build village schools; we built "dormitories' (not your image of a dorm - 100/150 students living in one looong room) for girls from remote villages to stay in so they can continue their education at district high schools.
Separate from the formal system, we supplement rural kids education via operating two Lao Children's Library Boats going to more than 100 villages along the Mekong and Ou rivers. And we have established and operate 6 Learning Centers at rural district towns that provide a mix of library, early learning, and child-youth development activities (something there is a lot of in the developed world, virtually none here.)
In our approach to these activities we try to remember to be flexible, to learn from our project participants and to maintain a sense of humor in the face of the challenges. David has alredy exhibited those qualities (and they show in his blog) and they will stand him in good stead as he moves ahead with his project. Go David!
CLI is basically about "creating opportunity where there is little." We have done several small pilot projects in youth sports. David's role will be to build on that, using his knowledge, experience and open, caring personality to help young Lao athletes and would-be athletes develop their potential and reach for the opportunites that can result, both in sport and in other endeavors. Go David!
CLI is pleased to have David and his blog aboard. Readers, enjoy.
- Bob Anderson, CLI founder and International Director
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