Communiqué

The Humpty Dumpty Institute

Monthly Communiqué from Laos

December 2007

The HDI-led demining and school feeding program in Laos continued to experience progress in December 2007.

HDI's development partner, International Relief and Development (IRD), reported that 197,346 snacks were distributed and 11,864 take-home rations were provided to 5,816 girls and 6,048 boys this month. 109 of the 110 schools in the program reported that all students attended at least 80 percent of classes. School improvements continue. 4 wells have been dug, 33 latrines have been built and 4 school structures have either been built or renovated. A drilling company has been contracted and will begin drilling water wells in January 2008.

20 schools sent representatives for training in school gardening techniques and 8 more schools have been provided with seeds and equipment. An additional 11 schools started planting. 48 schools sent teachers for training in the use of the School Health Resource Kits and have returned to the schools to begin using the kits for health trainings in the classroom. IRD has received a donation of 7,000 school kits and handmade blankets to distribute to the students.

HDI's demining parter, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), reported that all teams were deployed in target task sites and conducted intrusive clearance on school grounds. The teams were operational in Mahaxsay and Boulapha districts. Community Liaison teams are currently ahead of the planned schedule for mapping target schools and additional school improvement for clearance. Clearance activities were carried out in 8 new school sites of which 4 also received clearance for other school improvement activities such as gardens. In addition, the teams also cleared land for other school improvement activities in four schools, which were previously cleared as well as finishing clearance of 3 school grounds. The total cleared within the schools for the month is 59,151 m2 and a total of 86 UXO were destroyed. Since the HDI program began, a total of 993, 851 m2 has been cleared.

Phonesai preparing the
monthly report for HDI

Staff Profile of the Month: Phonesai SILAVAN

This month's communiqué profiles 34-year-old Phonesai Silavan (known as "Bob") from MAG. He is from Xieng Khouang Province in the north of Laos. He is an assistant in the MAG field office in Gnommalath District which is in Khammouane Province.

Phonesai completed a degree in English at the Buddhist University in Nongkhai, Thailand in 2003. From 2003 to 2004, he worked with tour companies on the planning and organization of tourist site visits in Laos. Since 2004, he has been working with MAG as a field assistant. His main responsibilities are to liaise with the relevant provincial and district government departments and to act as an interpreter for the MAG Technical Field Manager. He also assists expatriates in developing training plans, translates documents, and assists the logistics staff with procurement papers.

Phonsei's daughter Khaimag

He was recently assigned to the new post of provincial operations manager. His main tasks are managing the field teams, preparing task orders for the clearance teams, and surveying tasks for the Community Liaison teams and UXO spot tasks for the mobile teams. He also coordinates with MAG's partner organisations.

Phonesai says he is very lucky to work for MAG. Married two years ago, he and his wife now have a lovely six-month-old daughter whose nickname is Khaimag, which means MAG egg. His family is in Gnommalath and he does not want to leave. He says that when he travels to Vientiane for a few days on business he is homesick.

For more information on HDI's work in Laos, please contact Dr. Robert Keeley, the HDI Laos Country Director, at Bob.Keeley@thehdi.org.