Last week during a visit to one of the many lagoons near this town I met a big group of local teenagers. Apart from their great courage (some of them were jumping into the water from +10 m high branches) what surprised me the most was the fluency of their English. Even though tourism is spreading rapidly in the area, most locals still struggle with the foreign languages. A closer look to the group revealed two young western girls who seemed to be their teachers. A short talk with Rachel (27, Canadian) confirmed my guess.The group of boys and girls were members of a youth centre located in Phoudindaeng, a charming village 3 km north of Vang Vieng. Established in 2002, Phoudindaeng's youth centre offers a wide range of activities that include - among others - English courses, guitar and dance lessons, social studies and a sewing club. The centre was born as a brother project of the village's organic farm. In 2007, the Korean NGO AVAN (Asian Volunteer Action Network) included the centre within their 'Equal Education For All' progamme. With their support, locals and foreign volunteers built several clay huts that house the centre's library, classroom and computer room. Since then the centre has been sustained by short and long-term volunteers that collaborate with Lao staff.
As I will explain in future posts, I had the chance to see the good labour of these teams in first person. Local children and teenagers have found a place where they can play and learn while they develop a sense of community. This doesn't not only grant them a better future in a region where speaking English can make a big difference, but it also reinforces the links between the families - mostly farmers - who live in Phoudindaeng.Although it is expected that the centre will be autonomous (i.e. able to run without direct intervention of AVAN) by 2010, foreign travelers are always welcome to share their time and skills. The good results and the rewarding smiles of the students make the visit one of the most worthwhile experiences that one can find Laos. More info here!
Mi tratamiento preventivo contral el mal de Willy Fog va dando resultados, moral alta y subiendo y can ganas de volver a la carretera. Sin embargo hoy no os voy a hablar de esta cura milagrosa sino del Club Juvenil de Phoudindaeng, el segundo proyecto solidario para la seccion Gezellig World. La semana pasada durante una visita a una laguna cercana conoci a Rachel, una voluntaria canadiense que daba clases de ingles en este centro para jovenes de la zona. El centro es una iniciativa de los fundadores de la granja organica de Phoudindaeng. Con el soporte de la ONG coreana AVAN (Red de Voluntarios Asiaticos en Accion) jovenes voluntarios extrangeros y locales contriyeron las chozas de arcilla que albergan el aula, la bliblioteca y la sala de ordenadores del centro. Desde que fue construido el centro se sustenta de voluntarios extrangeros y autoctonos que imparten clases de ingles, guitarra, baile, costura... De esta manera los jovenes locales han encontrado un lugar de reunion, aprendizaje y divertimento donde ademas se estimula un sentido de desarrollo en comunidad, muy imporante en este entorno. Como explicare en futuros articulos, tuve la oportunidad de presenciar el buen trabajo de estos equipos mixtos en primera persona. Aunque esta previsto que el centro sea autonomo (independiente de la ayuda de la ONG Coreana) desde el ano que viene, transeuntes y voluntarios extrangeros seran siempre bievenidos. Yo os puedo garantaizar que la experiencia merece la pena! Mas informacion (en Ingles) aqui!
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