Nakai District - Khammouan Province - Lao Peoples Democratic Republic My friend Ta once tried to open a cluster bomblet with a stick. He had hopes of harvesting the 85 grams of high explosive contained inside and using the stuff to construct several homemade bombs that he’d use for fishing. The plan was simple: explode a...
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Nakai Tai Village - Khammouan Province - Lao Peoples Democratic Republic We work long days here with little feedback that our work truly makes a difference. Its one thing to have a job where you build something or make an event happen, and at the end of the day you can see change and measure progress. ...
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Mahaxai District – Khammouan Province - Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Ninety-five per cent of schools in Laos have no books or other printed material for students to read. In those schools all reading instruction takes place at a chalkboard with the teacher constantly writing and erasing words and phrases for the children to read. When...
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Nakai District - Khammouan Province - Laos Peoples Democratic Republic The theatrical release of the movie, Rescue Dawn, may renew discussion of the treatment of Vietnam War era prisoners of war. This movie graphically depicts the wartime experiences of Dieter Dengler, a German-born, American navy pilot who was shot down over Laos in 1966 and held...
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Nakai Tai Village - Khammouan Province - Laos Peoples Democratic Republic About eighteen months ago, thanks in large part to some “good deed money” donated by students at Madison Elementary School in Stevens Point, Wisconsin a Lao toddler from Nakai Tai Village received life-changing surgery. Vieng, whose name translates literally as “Hole-in-the-lip”, was born with a...
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Vientiane - Laos Peoples Democratic Republic There has been a lot of whispered conversation about Sompawn Khantisouk. Everybody I know who has ever worked with Pawn or befriended his family says the same thing. They all hope that, despite the dwindling odds, he will turn up alive. The Boat-Landing Lodge, the eco-tourism resort in Luang...
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Nam Nian Village - Khammouan Province - Lao Peoples Democratic Republic It was nearing day’s end in Nam Nian village when word reached us that a mother and daughter had discovered an aluminum tube filed with cluster bombs. The pair had been out in the forest most of the day, foraging for food, when they found...
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Vientiane - Lao Peoples Democratic Republic In recent years, while passing through Vientiane, I’ve worn a comfortable rut; Vientiane has become a retreat, a place for me to rest up and recover from weeks in the field. I usually arrive with firmly set notions of what I want from the city. I anticipate a favorite...
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Nong District - Savanakhet Province - Lao Peoples Democratic Republic I knew I should have had my wedding ring cut off my finger before leaving for Laos. I’ve gained 20 pounds since my marriage thirty-six years ago and the ring was beginning to feel a bit snug on my finger. In addition to having packed on...
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Nong District -Savanakhet Province - Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Like a wide belt, Savanakhet Province spans the entire width of south central Laos. The western border of the province is the Mekong River, which also forms the national border with Thailand; to the east a jagged mountain range demarcates the Provincial border and the Lao...
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