Laos VCF

1. The Ban Faen School Project

The newly formed charity established a method of communicating with the village elders of Ban Faen from the UK. From the beginning the trustees agreed the principle that the communities themselves should suggest projects to be funded by the LVCF. Ban Faen village asked the charity for assistance to build a new school.

The school project was split into two stages and completed in 2006 at a cost of £4400. This provided for the first time a school large enough for all the village children to attend.

The School at Baen Fen before...

..and after the school project

2. COPE – the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise

COPE is the organisation that provides all of the prosthetic and orthotic devices to all Lao people with a mobility disability. This includes many people who have been disabled as a result of UXO explosions. COPE is the only provider of such devices in the country.

Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped 90 million cluster bomblets over Laos in 580,000 bombing missions—equivalent to one plane load every eight minutes, 24 hours a-day, for nine years. Contrary to the tested rates, up to 30 percent of the cluster bomblets failed to detonate, leaving as many as 25 million unexploded bomblets still littering nearly 40 percent of the land in Laos.
It has been 34 years since the last cluster munitions were dropped on Laos, and still there is no end in sight to the damage caused by them. Since 1973 as many as 12,000 civilians have been killed or maimed, and hundreds of new casualties occur each year. Cluster bombs hamper basic food production and economic development in Laos, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Dermot MacWard (from Red Spokes) made contact with this fantastic organisation. He met inspiring individuals Mike Boddington and Jo Pereira who struggled to keep the project going. Over the years we have financially helped this project. In 2010 we plan to help again by trying to raise £10,000 for them as their funding has been cut.

Jo Pereira from Cope and Dermot MacWard from Redspokes

“Dear Red Spokes!

On behalf of the staff here at the rehabilitation centre and all the patients that your donations have helped I would like to say…
Thank you!!! Over the past 6 years Red Spokes and its tour groups have been extremely generous to the project. This year (2006), without support from you we would not be still going. The donation that Andy Hearn sent was at a critical time. The need for help is overwhelming at times but it means so much that a bunch of strangers arrive every few months on your tours and leave as supporters of COPE. Your passion for the country is tangible and seemingly infectious! So please keep coming to visit”

Jo Pereira Cope project co-ordinator www.copelaos.org

3. The Ban Faen Water Project

This was a major project as the Village currently obtains all of its water – for drinking, washing and watering crops from a single river. Hygiene and collecting the water from the mud slickened river banks during the monsoon season makes this a tough activity for the whole village. Following the success of the School Project Ban Faen Village applied to the LCVF for funding a clean water supply. The water was piped from 8km away, we supplied 3 main storage tanks and 15 taps in Ban Fen and its surrounding village.

Ken Phet and Dermot at the Baen Fen Water Project

4. Hmong village.

Following the success of the LVCF relationship with Ban Faen Village, the Charity looked to expand the scope of projects within Laos. The Hmong tribes are an ethnically distinct group whose culture is steeped in their hilltop village lifestyle. The LVCF approached one of the Hmong villages that Red Spokes stopped at on its way to Pak Mong. Again the Hmong villagers touched the groups over the years with their hospitality and generosity. After the success of the previous projects we asked the villagers what support they wanted, it was no surprise when they asked for a school. We decided to build a basic school and provide a teacher and teaching materials. In 2010 we want to build a brick school.