Team effort brightens the lives of impoverished villagers

Many areas of Laos lack adequate educational facilities and public health services, while there is also poor understanding of the need for good hygiene and nutrition.
 This means that the government and the private sector must reach out and connect with these deprived areas, to improve villagers’ quality of life and give them hope.
Seeing the great need for assistance in rural communities, I and nearly 20 other volunteers recently delivered a large amount of donated items to impoverished rural communities in southern Laos.

A health assistant provides free check-ups for villagers.

The trip was organised by RATCH-Lao Services Co., Ltd., a private company based in Vientiane.
The team of volunteers delivered food, clothing, seeds, medicine, and education and sports equipment to children and adults in four villages in Kaleum district, Xekong province, as well as arranging free health checks.
The villages of Kador, Don, Arong and Talang-Mai are located in a remote area, about 50km from the main town in Kaleum district.
People here sustain themselves by growing crops, foraging for food such as vegetables and bamboo, and raising animals for food, such as chickens, pigs and cattle.
Road access is very difficult and it takes over three hours to reach the villages from the nearest town.
The road is high and steep, hemmed in by hills and overhung with tree branches, so our drivers had to be very careful.
During our journey, heavy rain turned the dirt road into mud, which was very slippery. Some sections of the road had large stones in the middle, making it difficult to negotiate a path through the obstacles.
We took five pick-up trucks to carry the volunteers and the supplies to be delivered.
Fortunately, we arrived in Kador village safely and stayed there for three days and two nights.
During our stay, we had no mobile phone signal. There is no telephone service or internet in these villages and people must drive 2-3 kilometres before they can get a phone signal.
There were also no toilets, so we had to walk into the forest near the village each morning and evening.
We showered in springs and mountain streams. There is no piped water, so all water must be obtained from natural sources.
We slept in tents and although it rained lightly all night, fortunately the rain stopped in the early morning.
We brought our own food and drinks from Vientiane, including rice, pork, vegetables and cooking materials.
We used solar power and firewood to cook our food because there is also no electricity in these villages.
This was the first time I had taken part in such an unusual and exciting activity and it is something I will always remember and tell my friends and family about.
On the first day, the volunteers packed the donated items ready for distribution to villagers the next morning.

On the second day, we cooked breakfast and handed over dried food, clothing, seeds, medicine and education and sports equipment to hundreds of children and adults in Kador and Don villages.
A medical team from Kaleum district provided free health checks for those who needed help.
The children were delighted with the new toys and school supplies, while the grown-ups were pleased with the dried food, new clothing, seeds and medicine they were given.
It was a very joyful occasion and people were so excited and happy with the gifts they received, with their happiness reflected in their smiles.
I and all the other volunteers were also very happy, and felt that our hard work was amply rewarded when we saw the children’s broad grins.
On the last day, we cooked breakfast for the people of Kador village and began our return journey at 10am.
On the way back to Vientiane, we stopped off at Arong and Talang-Mai villages where we also handed out supplies.
The trip was made possible by the able guidance of the Manager-Head of Corporate Relations at RATCH-Lao Services Co., Ltd., Mr Narongwit Khrongsin.
To buy the provisions, RATCH-Lao requested assistance from individuals and state and private organisations, with more than 60 million kip being provided in total.
RATCH-Lao Services Co., Ltd. donated 22 million kip, Dokboua Golf Shop in Vientiane donated 19 million kip, and the Royal Thai Embassy to Laos provided 12 million kip.
The charitable activity was part of efforts by the RATCH Group to alleviate poverty and improve conditions for people in remote rural areas of Laos.

By Keoviengkhone Bounviseth
(Latest Update July 20, 2022)