By Donna Lednicky | Director of Marketing and Development
With support from our Global Giving donors, TAEC served 20 children in a fun-filled three day program of educational activities this July. Children from Luang Prabang town and two nearby villages came together to learn more about ethnic people and traditional cultures in Laos. We worked closely with the Children's Cultural Centre in Luang Prabang and Hmong and Kmhmu villages we work with throughout the year to plan and implement Summer Outreach 2015.
On the first day, 10 children from the town and 10 children from the villages met each other, made new friends, and started an adventure of new experiences. First, the TAEC education team gave a tour and introduced four (Akha, Hmong, Tai Lue, and Kmhmu) of the 49 ethnic groups that live in Laos. Next the children found clues in the exhibitions for a scavenger hunt. After a typical lunch with sticky rice and vegetables, the children made their own taleo from bamboo sticks and learned some Hmong embroidery stitches from Bao, one of our community researchers.
On day two, the children traveled to the organic Living Land Farm. Using traditional tools and methods, the children experienced the 14 steps of rice growing, from planting to harvest to eating. Later, the children visited the Living Craft Centre and met weavers and Hmong batik artisans. They learned the steps of making a weaving by hand from silk cocoon to finished fabric. Many of the plants used for making natural dyes were familiar to the children, but the process of making colors from the plants was new.
On day three, the children traveled across the Mekong river to Ban Chan, a pottery village, where they met three families who make pottery from the clay dug from the riverside. After lunch in the village, the children returned to Luang Prabang and toured the National Museum. Thanks tosponsorship from the The Governor's Office, the children had free entry to the former royal palace. Most of the children had never visited this museum and notable tourist attraction before.
Thanks to Global Giving donors, TAEC can provide this three day educational programme to children in Laos without charging a fee. Working with community groups like the Pottery Village supports local livelihoods and gives the children a memorable hands-on experience. Donations support transportation, lunch, and supplies for the program. You can follow us on facebook to see more photos from Summer Outreach and of our work preserving and sharing the cultural diversity in Laos.
Thank you for your support!
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By Donna Lednicky | Director of Marketing and Development
By Donna Lednicky | Director of Marketing and Development
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