WORKS UPDATE (9th January, 2016)
Ban Souy Noi
- All done and dusted! – pleased to report that the standard of the workmanship improves with each new Project, and Mr Syamphay very impressed at yesterday’s final inspection.
- Quite a celebration by the villagers yesterday. I was privileged to be invited to my first Baci ceremony along with Moua, No, Mea and Syamphay. The Baci is a Lao Buddhist “thankyou“ celebration (also performed at weddings, etc.) which is full of ritual and ceremony and culminates in all the villagers tying cotton strands around the wrists of the recipients. A very humbling occasion and a privilege for me to be involved.
- A huge feast of chicken and duck and steamed veggies and sticky rice, was followed by a number of toasts of warm Beer Lao plus some music and dancing led by yours truly! They loved it – a very happy occasion!
- The Health and Training Day is likely to be held in conjunction with Chomesy Souy in early February
Ban Chomesy Souy
- All materials are on site ready for commencement next Monday 11th.
- Scope of works explained to No and Mea by Moua and Syamphay, prior to yesterday’s celebrations at Souy Noi.
Ban Vangkham
- The Health and Training Day is still to be finalised by PDPHD – hopefully for mid January.
- Project Signboard design has been approved by KCF – has been sent off for manufacture and hopefully installed in time for the visit from Mya Kirwan (KCF).
Ban Houad
- A return visit is scheduled for Monday 18th January, to sign the Village Contract.
- The BOM and schematic drawings were submitted to PDPHD last week.
Ban’s Phiane Luang, Na Kham and Keoban
- These three Villages require substantial numbers of pre-cast concrete toilet tanks and lids – 50, 60 and 10 toilets respectively, each requiring 3 tank segments and a lid.
- Because of the cost and difficulty of transporting these to site (particularly the latter two which involve a two and half hour trip one way – by car!), Mr Syamphay has been negotiating with the villagers to manufacture the components themselves. On the face of it, the proposal makes very good sense because not only will it provide some local employment, it will also eliminate the risk of breakages during delivery.