By Jacqueline Lee | GlobalGiving InTheField Representative
Jacqueline Lee is an InTheField Traveler with GlobalGiving who is visiting our partners’ projects throughout Southeast Asia. Her “Postcard” from the visit in Lao:
On April 26, I met with SouLy from SEDA in Vientiane, Lao to visit one of the schools that received funding for renovation and to visit participants of the Weaving Artisans - Micro Credit Project. Everyone in the village knew SouLy and greeted her upon arrival. She had been working with this specific community for some time.
SEDA was working with a specific village where the women are wives of handicapped military veterans - therefore usually the main income generator of the household.
We visited 3 women who benefited and were part of this project. All three were highly grateful and dependent on the support of SouLy and SEDA for marketing and selling their work. Tuh, the 1st woman to do participate in this textile project in this village shared some of her beautiful work. She shared about her current situation while we all sat on her front porch next to her large weaving machine. Tuh was an orphan who went to work at the handicapped veterans camp where she met her first husband. Now Tuh was a widow - twice she was married and both times they passed away leaving her alone to support herself and her children. I asked her what she was able to do with the money earned - and she said finally buy a computer for her kids. She had been a weaver before, which is a tradition passed down, but now with the market testing of quality, color etc. SEDA helped bring her products to the market.
After, we met with another woman who was part of this project. We sat with her and her husband while she weaved. Her husband had lost both of his arms - but one wouldn't notice from the great big smile he had when he greeted SouLy and myself upon arrival and sat laughing and talking with us. Both husband and wife were warm and welcoming eager to speak with me despite the language barrier.
I would like to thank SEDA and SouLy for her support and hospitality in accompanying me to visit this project and experience how GlobalGiving funds were used.
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