NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS JULY 10

Hello all. Just another update for all you Lao fans out there and another excuse for me to NOT finish this bloody book. But all is looking rosy on the sponsorship front. Five of our kids in Luang Nam Tha did well enough in their primary trainer ed. to qualify for another three years of training to become secondary school teachers. The great news is that I’ve contacted their old (as in previous, not elderly) sponsors individually and all of them have agreed to continue to support their little ones for another three years. Three cheers for Mark and Nancy, Melody, Eva, Margaret, and Steph. Thanks a lot folks.
   And, it’s that time of year again when all good sponsors reach into their pockets and fork out money. Again, I shall contact you all individually to remind you how to pay and how much. I’ve found that memories work a lot better on incoming money than they do on outlay. There’s a PhD in there somewhere. A reminder that there will be NO new students at the national university this year (government policy) and NO new sponsorees at the Luang Nam Tha TTS (our rest year to see what happens with the new grads). I have agreed to fund Mr. Somlath to go out to schools around Luang Nam Tha province to see how our graduates of this year are doing and find out how many have jobs. The outcome of this will decide our policy for next year.
   Almost all the students have bank accounts now and Jess will be crossing over to Vientiane to transfer money into them. Attempting the same from overseas would have the same effect as ripping up the money and flushing it down a toilet. She’ll also be in touch with our Hmong girls to see how they’re doing and give them their ongoing funds for the next academic year.
   Sorry to all those who were hoping for a student this year. I’ll try to keep you warm until this same time next year.
All of you should have received your individual graduation photos by now. Sorry for those who cannot recognize their students because they’re covered in makeup or because only a portion of them made it into the picture. I wasn’t there to supervise the photo taking.

Happy end of July to you all.

HELLO, ME AGAIN,
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ENJOYED THIS WEEK'S STORY OF DAVID ATTENDING THE SHIFTING GRADUATION CEREMONY IN LUANG NAM THA, HERE'S AN EVEN BETTER ONE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE LAO MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DECIDED ITS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE TOO DUMB. IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS DUMBNESS, THEY'VE DECIDED EVERYONE HAS TO DO AN EXTRA YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL STARTING IMMEDIATELY. IMAGINE THE SUPRISE OF ALL THOSE KIDS PREPARING THEIR COURSAGES FOR THE PROM NEXT MONTH. AS A RESULT, THERE WILL BE NO NEW INTAKE AT THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY THIS YEAR. I APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF YOU NEW DONORS WHO WERE EXPECTING A HMONG STUDENT FOR AUGUST. THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO START UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
   THIS HAS MADE ACCOUNTING A LOT EASIER FOR ME FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS. CHAOS SHOULD RESUME AS NORMAL IN 2011 AND I'LL CHASE YOU ALL UP THEN.
I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN TO SEND YOUR INDIVIDUAL GRAD PICTURES. I'M ON IT.
WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF LAOS.
BEST WISHES AND CONTINUED THANKS
CC

NEW NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS – JUNE 2010

Okay, sorry for the delay. We just got back to Thailand after eating and drinking everything Europe had to offer and missing the dogs terribly. We’ve been away so long I’m not sure they even remember who we are. But you didn’t open this email to hear all about me, did you? You’re here for the LUANG NAM THA STUDENT GRADUATION NEWS. As Jess and I were otherwise indisposed, we convinced our old friend and money courier David to pop over to Laos as our representative. David was a little indisposed too as he lives slap in the middle of the battle zone in Bangkok and couldn’t even get out to fill up his fridge. Despite – or perhaps because of – the daily fear of death, he agreed to fly over to Laos for the graduation on May 12th. A week after the tickets had been bought and the hotels booked and two days before departure, I got a message from Laos telling me they’d changed the graduation date to May 19th, or it might be 21st. (Such is the mysterious way of the Lao which makes the feat of getting kids through college even more remarkable.) We made tentative bookings for the following week. Even as David boarded the flight to Vientiane we still didn’t know the day or time the students would be collecting their certificates.
   When he arrived in Luang Nam Tha he learned that the graduation ceremony was definitely the next day, the time was yet to be announced. But he had a good time on tenterhooks (what exactly is a tenterhook?) and even managed to get a few photographs of our kids in their own tribal costumes.

       
Once I’ve slept off my jetlag I’ll get in touch with you sponsors individually and send you your keepsake photograph. In all we had twenty young folks graduate and head off into the distant hills. In October I’ll be sponsoring our own Mr. Somlath, the college English teacher, to go off in search of all our kids and see how they’re doing. Based on his report (assuming he can find them all), we’ll make the decision about continuing the college sponsorship programme up north next year. Mr. Somlath is hoping to find a short IT course somewhere that he can get sponsored for. If anyone has any ideas please let us know.
   Our four girls at Luang Prabang TTS also graduated last month but we weren’t so lucky with photos. Our friends at Big Brother Mouse went in search of them but, sorry Jose, they didn’t appear in any of the photographs. You’ll have to take my word for it that they all graduated. I’ll get Mr. Somlath to go find them in October.
 

For those of you kindly offering to sponsor a Hmong girl for the next academic year, hold on to your horses cause, as usual, we’ll hear about the shortlist at the very last moment and I’ll be writing around in a panic. I’ve had six of you offer to support a part of a Hmong girl and, as you didn’t specify which limbs you want, I’ll have to divvy them up as I see fit. As usual I’ll cover the cost at this end and sit beside my bed every night praying that you send the money to my bank account. “Colin, it’s been really tough this year what with the zeppelin dropping on our house...”  David stopped off in Vientiane to see our current batch. They’re growing up fast and smiling a lot more than they used to.

Books
With the various unspecified donations I received over the past six months we were able to sponsor a book party at BBM. Thanks too for books from Sidney Callas and Gena. I’ll take them over next time I go. I’m only importing specific English language books these days. All other book donations I’ll send directly to BBM. Thanks.

That’s all folks. Thanks, as ever, for your help. Time for bed.
 

NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS - MAY 2010

Dear all in sundry, (I've often wondered where sundry was)

SCHOLARSHIPS
Hope you're all well. This is just a little interim newsletter to let you know about events in Laos. The graduation ceremony for the kids in Luang Nam Tha will be held at the college on May 20th. It looks like our four girls studying in Luang Prabang won't be able to get back to LNT to graduate in their nearest home town as their course is dragging over a bit. More of that later. Sadly, it looks like the people I hoped would be going up to represent us at the ceremony aren't going to be able to make it. Jess and I should be on a flight to Germany around then so we can't go either. So, here's the question. I don't suppose anyone out there has a plan to be strolling through the north of Laosaround then? I'd put you up in a nice, riverside lodge and you'd be lauded like royalty (it's okay to say that now) by the students. Take a few photos. Eat a few endangered species. Drink LOTS. Come on. Where's your sense of adventure?

And thanks to Steve and Susan. Your check has arrived and I'll let you know what I do with it as soon as I do it. 

And finally, as a few people have expressed opinions about the Hmong girl scholarships at the National University being a bit expensive, (Although, I would argue, better value than a flat screen TV) I have been toying with the idea of going for a time share arrangement. I guess it should be called a body share. I know a lot of you are in withdrawal now that your kids have graduated and others of you have offered to help but not to the tune of $1100, what about if we triple up? You pay your regular $350 but you don't get an exclusive. i get three of you together and you get a third of a Hmong.  it would probably work out to one arm and half a leg and a few pounds of offal each. For a few extra dollars you get a head. Let me know what you think about this idea and I'll get my act together and go through my sponsor lists to match you up. 

And i guess that's all for today. The 20th is actually a wonderful moment for us all. Thanks to you all, kids who wouldn't have had a chance for further education are graduating as teachers and going off to teach other kids who don't have much of a chance to go to school. It's a simple formula that shouldn't be so hard to work out for all those big NGOs with lofty claims and stunted results. WELL DONE US. I love you all (in a platonic, huggy sort of a way)
Best wishes
Col  

NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS – MARCH 2010

Look at that. You get two newsletters in the space of a month. I’ll have to start paying myself a salary for this job. But, as you expected, I only have good news to impart following my trip to Laos. I’ll be contacting you individually if I have specific news about your student (as in the young lady we talked out of getting married until after she graduates). But here’s the general – cleared for public use – news.

Books
I picked up more books from Martin Momoda than I could comfortably carry on my initial night in Vientiane. These found their way to the English department of the TTS in Luang Nam Tha and there was a general buzz of excitement that they’d have something to teach that didn’t mention snow and getting knighted by Queen Elizabeth. All Martin’s books have Lao translations and explanations which make them very convenient for self study. If you know anyone who’s passing through Vientiane on their way up or down country, tell them to pick up some books to deliver.

Couldn’t make my donation to Big Brother Mouse cause the Vientiane ATM machines told me I was doing something illegal which wouldn’t have been the first time.

Body Parts
Stopped off at COPE to sign some books and was told that forty percent of their visitor center profits are now coming from sales of our locally produced Dr. Siri books. That either means they aren’t doing that well with anything else or Dr. S is selling a lot better in Laos than it is in the States. Is it too late to change my mind about those royalties?

Scholarships
I didn’t get to see most of our students ‘cause they were out in the countryside doing their teaching practice but I did have a sit down with the staff at the TTS and had lunch with our four kids who have another year to go. Here are the highlights of the chat.

# None of our folks have dropped out and the TTS is very pleased with their work over the past few years. They’re expecting all of them to be offered teaching jobs.

# I’ll be looking for funds to send one of the TTS staff on a road trip in December to follow up on our students and make sure they haven’t got lost. This isn’t an easy feat as many will be in remote schools that aren’t easily accessible. If anyone would like to donate a helicopter this would be a good time.

# Three of our students have scores that are good enough to offer them another three years at the TTS which would qualify them to teach secondary school. This depends on the marks they get for their teaching practice. When the list is finalized I’ll get in touch with their current sponsors to see if you’re interested in keeping them in school.

# We’ve opened bank accounts for the four students who aren’t graduating until next year. We figure if we can trust them to teach kids we should be able to trust them to manage their own money.

# The four girls in Luang Prabang (José) are graduating in June and we’re hoping to get permission for them to come back to Luang Nam Tha to get their certificates. This will make it easier for relatives to attend the ceremony.

Back in Vientiane I met up with our four Hmong girls and heard that they don’t have any serious problems. They’re all hoping to teach secondary school at the end of their courses. They’re already managing their own money. I have three sponsors who have pledged to take on a Hmong beginning the next academic year from August and I’ll get in touch once we have details. I’ve asked to see information on all the girls on the shortlist (last year there were twenty) so that we have some say in criteria and selection. Although we’ve focused on girls there are also boys hoping to get scholarships. If anyone out there prefers boys (I’m sure you know what I mean) let me know.

If there are any farmers out there we have one Khmu boy who’s been accepted for an agricultural course in Vientiane and doesn’t have any funding. I have details if you know anyone with green fingers and overflowing wallets.

As we have a big bunch graduating at the same time in June this year, I was thinking it would be a nice time for some of you sponsors to book your travel to southeast Asia. Jess and I have to be in Europe (for my day job) so we can’t be there and the kids would love to have you. The more the merrier. There’s some beautiful scenery around and I’m sure you’d be invited to hang out in villages while you’re in Laos. Let me know if you’re interested.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my buddy Chantavone for all the great work she’s being doing for the projects. She’s back in Vientiane now and unemployed so if anyone’s looking for a general all-round genius, let me know.

Thanks, as ever, to you all.
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NEWS LETTER FOR LAOS FEBRUARY 10, 2010

And a warm monsoon-free welcome to 2010 to you all. I’m sorry some of you are up to your undercarriages in snow but I’m sure it’ll make you feel much better to hear that we have almost perfect sunny days here on the gulf and a balmy thirty degrees.

In a week or so I’m off to Laos to give a talk at the International School entitled ‘Anything is Possible’. It was the students’ idea for a topic and I’m not sure I believe it’s true but I guess that doesn’t matter as long as I can convince other people it is. I doubt very much, for example, that I’ll be winning X-factor any time soon with my rendition of I Dreamed a Dream.  But the good news is that the I.S. is sponsoring my trip and I can do a detour via Luang Nam Tha to see the kids who aren’t off doing their teaching rounds. I’ll get a chance to talk to the staff at the TTS and arrange for a friend to hand over the last of our scholarship money for the new academic year. I’m hoping to talk a couple of locally based sponsors into heading up north to represent us all at the graduation ceremony. It’ll be nice to have some pictures. I’m afraid I’ll be in England and can’t make it myself. If any of you feel like popping over I’m sure it would be appreciated.

Back in Vientiane I have a meeting with our four Hmong girls at the University and another with the Hmong educators who select students for our scholarships. We have three offers from you lot (gracias) to sponsor a Hmong next year. They tell me they can find us as many as we can sponsor so if you know anyone with money burning a hole in their pocket and a heart of gold, feel free to pass them on to me. I’ll be setting out a statement of criteria and I’m going to vet the nominees they suggest. But I think they’ve done a good job so far without my hindrance.

I have some money to pass on to Big Brother Mouse and I hope to visit with Martin Momoda who I mentioned in the last newsletter. All this in the space of a week and that doesn’t include sitting on the banks of the Mekhong drinking Bier Lao and watching the sunset. (Which I shall claim out of expenses from myself when I return).

If any of you sponsors have a message for me to pass on to your kids, let me know before the 14th. Don’t send me teddy bears or copies of the Encyclopedia Britannica to pass along. Your respect and admiration will be much easier to get through customs.

As always, my sincerest thanks to all of you for your continuedsupport. I’ll have a softly-stuffed divan with scatter cushions waiting for you in heaven.
Your friend,
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