NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS – YEAR END 2010
And a very happy new year to all of you. (thought I’d get that out of the way in case I forget at the end.) Finally got some pictures to show you and news from BBM and Cope, complete with the ‘will it never end?’ drama at Dong Dok. Once this is sent off I’ll even get around to sending you your individual student pictures that I promised several weeks ago, but…I bin bizzy, ysee. First.
Luang Nam Tha
Jess met up with Dr. Leila in LNT and they took our survivors out to lunch at some fancy place. The kids did their best to write notes to their sponsors but I can’t guarantee you’ll ever get them cause they’re sitting here on my desk and they’re hand written so let’s just imagine they all say ‘Thank you and Happy New Year’ shall we? Some of you also got hand-made scarves and/or bags which I’ll send you a photo of and you can decide whether you want me to wrap them up and send them by post to the other side of the world, e.g. As they say, it’s the thought that counts.
Vientiene
Another meeting and another lunch, this time with our old Hmong gals who are doing okay. By doing okay I think I mean that they haven’t been distracted from their studies by suitors.
Which brings me to our 6, (dropping to 3) new recruits for this year. You’ll be surprised and delighted to hear that the new intake has arrived at the national university and are settled into their accommodation. You’ll be less surprised to hear that there are now only two. There are times that I feel my career as a mystery writer is ideally suited to running programmes in Laos. It appears that one of the three new girls was kidnapped by her boyfriend who banned her from going to university. Unlike the others, he didn’t even offer her marriage as an alternative. The mystery here is that I can’t even tell you which of the three it is as things have gone mighty quiet over new year. Our friend Chantavone has offered to find us a replacement so I might have good news for you in the new year. But let’s not hold our breaths, shall we?
Big Brother Mouse
This from Sasha.
If your New Year's resolution was "I'd like to sponsor a book about a witch who eats the intestines of her husband's best friend," you're in luck. Big Brother Mouse reports that, as they took books into rural Lao villages last year, the most popular book was the story of Phiiyamoi, a witch who does just that.
BBM is working with teachers, parents, and village volunteers to promote read-aloud activities. Reading aloud, whether to a group, or as bedtime stories for your children, is an entirely new concept for most people in Laos. In the past there was story-telling, often by grandparents; but there were no books to read from, silently or aloud.
So BBM is publishing another edition of Phiiyamoi, and some other books, in special large formats, intended to encourage reading aloud. Sponsors, who pay part of the printing costs, help keep prices low. If this particular witch isn't your cup of tea, they have other books that also need a sponsorship.They're listed at www.BigBrotherMouse.com; click "Donate", then "Sponsor a Book".
COPE
And Cope’s latest newsletter can be availabilized here.
http://www.copelaos.org/web_files/file/COPENewsDec2010.pdf
So, there you go then. Another year gone and we still haven’t cocked anything up too badly. Seventeen graduates in schools, four graduating next year, four more who did well enough to step up to study to be high school teachers, and six (?) Hmong at the national university. Not a bad day’s work. Over the next few months we’ll make the decision as to whether we’ll continue with the programme in the north and at the national university and let you all know. I may come across as lacking in feeling and unable to express my deepest emotions at times but I’m English and it’s in the tap water. I really really do thank all of you for your help and if you write ‘really’ twice that’s very serious for an Englishman. It make me feel all warm and bubbly inside that there are still some kind people in the world. It’s easy to forget. So…thanks.
And did I say Happy New Year yet?
Happy New Year
Lots of Love
NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS DECEMBER 10th
Hello. Me again. Jess is back safely from the wilds of Laos with gifts of coffee, frankincense and scarves. She also had some more, very typical, Lao news about the ongoing saga at Dong Dok in Vientiane. But first the good news.
LUANG NAM THA
All seems to be going well and we’re very happy with the coordination of Mr. Somlath who should be leaving in a week to find the students who have graduated from the TTS and see how things are going. He has a nice new camera to record his finds and a computer to write about them. Jess, in a moment of spontaneous generosity gave him some money to ‘have a good time’ while he’s away. I dread to think what he’ll spend that on in the jungle. While he’s up country he’ll be asking in the villages if anyone has a small agricultural project that needs funding. (Thanks for that offer from Manoj…I’ll get back to you when we have a suggestion.)
Jess met and had lunch with all the students still at the TTS apart from Mr. Talon who was off in his village dealing with some emergency. For the four students (Talon, Khamsone, Sivan, Souvonkhan) who graduate this year we paid the extra money for the end of year practicum which I completely forgot to add to your donations this year. My fault. You got lucky. We also paid for extra computer studies for all the students including the five who did well and will continue with their studies to teach at high school. (La, Phetdavanh, Sompane, Sompong, Thonglai). I have some pictures for you sponsors which I’ll send individually. Jess has a new camera too and she’s trying to figure out how to make the pictures smaller than a rice paddy. Some of you hit the jackpot and will get hand-made gifts. I have most of your mailing addresses but don’t get upset if you don’t get anything. You know what boys are like. They’d have gladly knocked you up a chicken coup but a macrame’d scarf???? I’ll pass on results from Somlath’s tour when we get them. Which brings us to
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – VIENTIANE.
Jess met up with our four ongoing gals (Bowyang, My, Yen Yang and Khaivan) and was impressed with their growing maturity, if not their GPA. I tried to remind her that Lao is not their native language so she should be patient. I expect leaps and bounds next year. For our three new sponsors patiently waiting for photos of their girls, the story continues. At first Jess was told that the three had gone home during the celebration of the Lao 450 year anniversary. Further probing led to the disclosure that they hadn’t exactly left their homes for Vientiane yet because they were still waiting for permission from the university to study. This in the context of an academic year which, technically, didn’t exist. (Go back three months of newsletters). The Hmong education council is ‘absolutely confident’ that they will receive their papers and begin their studies before the new year. Don’t you love this country?
So, that’s it. Thank you all for your continued patience and thank you to all the new sponsors who have nobody to sponsor yet but most certainly will do next year. It’s raining a lot here and our drains are blocked. Just thought I’d share that with you.
Best wishes
Col
NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS – Nearly November 2010
Hello y’all. This is just a quick update to let you know that all is well with our new and old students. The panic and chaos of September gave way to the solving of mysteries in October and now we’re back on track.
You may recall that we were suddenly presented with the names of six girl students who were eager to begin courses at the national university in Vientiane - or so we were told. After burning candles at both ends (which means you have to hold the thing all the time and type with one hand cause you can’t put it down) and your usual magnificent benevolence, we did indeed come up with six sponsors. Whilst in the midst of transferring money, we learned that one of the six had changed her mind and two others had decided to get married instead. Thus a frenzy of untransferring money and unmeeting students in Kop Jai Deu restaurant. That leaves us with three who have opened bank accounts and paid their dues and thank you very much.
The folks in Luang Nam Tha have all started their classes. Mr. Somlath who’s responsible for our students will be traveling to the provinces early December to see how our graduates are doing. Jess will meet him before he goes and give him a camera and a lap top to aid his journey (which we’re funding). If we get a good review from him we’ll continue with the programme and take new students for September 2011. Jess will also see the Hmong coordinator in Vientiane and find out who was responsible for this year’s cock up. Once that’s established we’ll decide whether to take on any new girls next year. Gotta be cruel to be kind in this world. A project is only as good as the people you have coordinating it in country and we aren’t there.
Hope you’re all having a great Lang Suan Boat Race week as we are.
Love and thanks as always.
Col
August Quickie
Hello all,
just a quickie to let you know the money's all been paid in Laos. Jess was over there last week. If you can crawl your way through all the food stuff on her blog, http://jesscotterill.blogspot.com/
there is scant evidence that the job is done, but it's there. All we need now is for you lot to pay up. I know where you live.
cc
SEPT NEWSLETTER FOR LAOS
Hello all.
Hope you're well.
You old timers to these newsletters will be familiar by now with the idiosyncratic whims of the country we call Laos. a few months ago I told you there would be no intake at the national university for the coming academic year. Then, a week ago, low and behold, I am told that the university won't be taking new graduates because nobody will be graduating from high school this year (the doors are locked) but they will be admitting old graduates. We have five Hmong and a Yao who couldn't get funding for last year and they'd like to study this year. Never a dull moment.
So, I've been frantically writing around to those of you who showed an interest in sponsoring a girl for a year for $US1,200 a year with a possible four or five year commitment. It's amazing how many people vanish when push comes to shove. The great, almost perfect news is that we now have sponsors for five of the girls. Many thanks to Manoj, David, Deb, Bruce and Jenny. Unfortunately, we have one sad-faced girl who has no sponsor and she'll be sobbing pathetically by the roadside as she watches her five friends march past on their way to Dong Dok. At the end of last year I floated the suggestion that those of you whose kids have graduated, or those of you on government handouts or self-employed licking envelopes...who can't afford the full monty, might be interested in a fraction of a Hmong. Naturally I'd like two 50% sponsors so I don't have to do jigsaw puzzles each new year, but I'm desperate so I'll take whatever I can get. So, if you'd like a piece of Hmong (and you can't specify which limb) or if you recently won the national lottery, I'd be very pleased to hear from you.
With regard to Luang Nam Tha, we're all paid up (apart from one sponsor...tsk tsk) and the kids are all ready to start the new semester. Jess will be going over in November to meet everyone and take photos so I'll have some pictures for you old and new sponsors before Christmas.
Hope you're all enjoying life.
Best wishes and continued thanks.
col
PS. Anyone spot me in the New York Times last week?
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.
cc
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,
cc
