It's been an exciting three days for a group of twenty LEOT students joined by teachers and volunteers together with our project leader Chansamai who has recently graduated with an Environmental Studies degree in Vientiane when they spent three days working in Ban Som village for an environmental awareness weekend.
Their central job was to collect rubbish and work with the local villagers as part of the
TRASH FOR CASH campaign organised by Goodwill Globetrotting
TRASH FOR CASH campaign organised by Goodwill Globetrotting
The team certainly found a major job particularly with a great pile of rubbish dumped close to a stream at the back of the village. They collected a total of fifty bags over the weekend.Ban Som is a small village set about fifteen kilometers from Luang Prabang it is accessed by a dirt road after crossing the mighty Mekong.Our team had no chance to recycle much of the waste and there is no refuse collection services for small rural villages in Laos. They therefore set about digging a pit and burying or burning the waste.
The rubbish was compacted and the hole partly filled leaving sufficient room for the village to continue using for the next few months.
Chansamai was keen to spend time working with the young people from Ban Som and our own LEOT students. She set up a classroom in the village hall and gave a talk on our environment. It was great to involve many of the young people in improving their own village. They helped put up litter baskets round the village to collect rubbish for disposal.
The LEOT students had great fun working with the children on a colouring competition. Chansamai had made prizes of golden note books for every one that took part. Looks like it was real fun.
The purpose of the weekend was for our students to give a little back to their own community.
This they certainly did and shared and enjoyed the experience.
The head man of Ban Som sent us this message
Villagers of Ban Som and people are very please and glad to agree with LELC which taking readiness by cleaning our village. Moreover, LELC also make us know how to throw the rubbish in the right way 1-3/11/2013.
So that all of us in Ban Som have nothing to pay all of the LELC kindness back, here we just have thanks for giving for all of helpful LELC team. We wish all of you are successful on every your duties.
So that all of us in Ban Som have nothing to pay all of the LELC kindness back, here we just have thanks for giving for all of helpful LELC team. We wish all of you are successful on every your duties.
