QLA recently assisted UXO survivor Mr Khaek with the cost of installation of electricity in his house. Khaek and his wife found it difficult to cope without electricity, especially at night when taking care of their baby. “Thank you very much for supporting the electricity for my family. Before, I did not have electricity and it was very difficult especially during night time but now my life is more convenient than before” Khaek said.
This video shows the work of QLA and provides some background on the UXO problem in Laos and the impact UXO’s have on people’s lives.
QLA has recently been co-ordinating the building of new houses for a small number of UXO survivors and people with disabilities with high priority needs. The building materials were funded by a very generous private donation received in late 2014 and the local villagers and family members did the construction work free of charge. Thank you to QLA’s donor, whose kind gesture has made a huge impact on the lives of these beneficiaries. Here is one such story:
Ms Dam is 59 years old, single and lives in Kham District. When Dam was 3 years old she caught a disease which her parents tried to treat using traditional medicinal methods, but despite this, she became paralysed in both legs. When QLA met Dam in 2014 she was living with her niece in a small house made of bamboo and grass; it was in poor condition and had no amenities. The house was also deemed to be a ‘bad luck’ house because two people had died there: Dam’s sister and then last year, her sister’s 17 year old son.
QLA consulted with the Head of the Village to make arrangements for the design of the house, delivery of building materials and the construction work. When she saw her house under construction Dam was very touched and became a little emotional at knowing that a generous donor had paid for the building materials and to see her family and fellow villagers doing all the construction work to help her at no cost.
Dam is thrilled with her house and said her life is not so difficult now. She likes to sit on her front porch and make small fishing nets which she sells for a very small income. Many villagers pay her a visit and sit on her porch for a chat. QLA’s private donor wishes Dam many happy years in her new home and said that “it is inspiring to see what can be done with the initiative of QLA and the community spirit and hard work of the village neighbours.”
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this wonderful initiative. Great work everyone!
Ms Dam inside her new house.
Building the house for Ms Dam: community spirit at work.
Dam could not wait to move into her new house; it has not only given her safe and secure shelter, but having indoor amenities has also helped her dignity.
Ms Dam looks on whilst Khamkhone (President of QLA’s Board) hands over the house related paperwork to the Head of the Village.
Legacies of War is the leading U.S.-based educational and advocacy organization working to address the impact of conflict in Laos during the Vietnam War-era, including removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO). They raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing of Laos, provide space for healing the wounds of war, and create greater hope for a future of peace. They are not a direct service or aid organization, nor do they have local offices in Laos. From Washington, DC, they engage and establish relationships with governments, civil society and individuals, especially from the Lao diaspora, to raise awareness and increase financial support for clearance of UXO in Laos. They work directly with key decision-makers in the U.S. government – including Congress and the Administration – and with the private sector and media outlets to provide these influential groups with compelling information and analysis. They serve as a convenor and organizer of partner organizations and individuals seeking to resolve the UXO problem in Laos.
QLA Director Thoummy recently received an award from Legacies of War for his advocacy work on behalf of UXO survivors
Local villagers in Kham district recently built a house for a high priority family of UXO survivors. Three days after they moved into the new house, part of their old bamboo house was destroyed in a storm.
Ms Vanh is 42 years old, divorced and lives in Kham District with two of her four children. Another son lives in Vientiane with his wife. Vanh has had an intellectual impairment since birth and her son who lives with her has a similar impairment.
In 2008, Vanh and her children were digging a channel near their house when a UXO exploded. One son died as a result and Vanh and her other children sustained shrapnel wounds.
When QLA met Vanh, she and her children were living in a bamboo house with a grass roof that was quite far out from their village and in a state of major disrepair.
The Head of the Village told QLA that the local community had wanted to help this family for a long time but did not have the funds to do so. Very grateful that QLA could pay for the building materials, the Head of the Village allocated some land for the new house which was much closer to the village than the old house and would improve security. A few weeks later the land was cleared and Thoummy (QLA’s Executive Director) handed over the building materials to the village authorities and Ms Vanh’s family.
The villagers worked hard to build the house before rain season. Once completed, QLA made a follow up visit to officially hand over the house to Ms Vanh.
A UXO survivor herself, Ms Vanh’s mother spoke on behalf of her daughter. She expressed her gratitude to QLA and the person whose private donation has enabled the house to be built. She said that at this late stage in her life she now has peace of mind knowing that at long last her daughter and her family have somewhere safe and secure to live.
QLA would like to thank everyone involved in helping to improve the quality of life of this family: QLA’s donor, Ms Vanh’s family, Village authorities, local villagers who did the labor, the village women who fed the builders, the local building technician and the technical consultant from the Vocational School. Sok dee der (a sincere good luck wish).
Ms Vanh’s old house
With the site already cleared, Thoummy hands over the building materials.
The local villagers worked hard to complete the house before rain season…all at no cost.
Mr Khamkhone Phaioudone, (President of QLA’s Board) hands over the house to Vanh and the village authorities.
Vanh’s family held a basi ceremony to show their gratitude to the private donor, QLA, the building technician and to wish Vanh and her children well in her new house.
Thank you offerings for the local building technician; what a great job he did too!
The basi to wish Vanh and her children well in their new home.
Ms Vanh and her mother (both UXO survivors).
In June, QLA’s operational team and all 8 Board members received comprehensive training in disability rights and equality (DRET) as part of the TEAM project. They also learned about the barriers to social inclusion that people with disabilities face on a regular basis. Thank you to the trainers from the Lao Disabled People’s Association (VTE) for delivering such high quality training. QLA and Board members were very impressed and look forward to applying this invaluable knowledge in their future work.
Mr Nengyong Yang
The UXO accident
Nengyong was 31 years old and married with four children. In April 2012, Nengyong was cutting a tree in his field in preparation for planting corn when he hit a UXO that had been sitting inside the tree trunk for decades. As a result of the accident Nengyong lost his sight. He was treated in hospital for several weeks.
Nengyong’s wife Mai Khang told QLA that since the accident he had been very upset because he was blind and could not farm or support his family. He told her that dying would be better than having to rely on her to take care of him.
In June 2012 Nengyong killed himself. Mai Khang woke up to find that he was not in bed. She searched through the house and then went outside to find that he had hanged himself from a mango tree. Although she immediately cut him down and cried out to the neighbors for help, he was already beyond help. Nengyong left behind three young sons and one daughter.
Although there is no way to undo this tragedy, QLA will continue to have contact with Nengyong’s family and endeavour to assist as much as possible.
An alternative form of livelihood
After Nengyong passed away, MaiKhang had to stay home and care for her children, so QLa arranged for her brother-in-law to attend animal raising training on her behalf in June 2013. QLA provided a small grant to buy animals for raising and MaiKhang opted to buy some chickens. MaiKhang now has 30 chickens and 40 chicks which can be sold or used at Basi ceremonies (significant religious/spiritual events). This shows that MaiKhang has made good use of the previous small grant.
Update 2014
In response to reading Nengyong’s story, QLA received a private donation from a family that wanted to help this family specifically. QLA met with MaiKhang to determine the needs of her and her children. In August 2014 QLA arranged the purchase of school uniforms, shoes and school books for the three children of school age and the payment of school fees. MaiKhang’s roof was in such a state of disrepair that the kitchen was unusable. QLA arranged for the purchase of roofing materials and several members of MaiKhang’s extended family assisted with putting on the new roof within one week of purchase. QLA also provided a grant for MaiKhang to buy two pigs, to generate income and a few bags of rice so she could feed her family until income from the pigs was realised.
MaiKhang is very thankful for the assistance that QLA has given and said that now the essential things that were worrying her have been taken care of, she hopes that life will be easier for her and her children. She also said she would like to see QLA provide this type of assistance to other families of UXO survivors and UXO victims.
The donating family has indicated that if the children attend school regularly and receive a good school report they will consider funding the education costs again next year and in subsequent years.
The Yang family’s visit to Phonsavan to buy school uniforms and shoes. From left: Souk (10yrs) DouaOng (12 yrs), YengJouk (2yrs), MaiKhang (32 yrs) and KaLai (8 yrs).
YengJouk inspects the quality of the rice!
Khamkhone, President of QLA’s Board of Directors, hands over the school books, rice, roofing materials and funds for education and the purchase of 2 pigs to the Yang family. The Head of the village (left) supervised the event.
The oldest boy, Souk, was at his grandmother’s that day.
Channapha Khamvongsa (Legacies of War) has been a tireless advocate for UXO victims for many years. When in Xieng Khouang during her visit to Laos from the USA, QLA introduced Channapha to Mai Khang in March 2015 after which Channapha’s advocacy work was a feature article in the International New York Times and Mai Khang’s story was one of several included in the article.