As of April 2008, we are raising funds to help purchase teaching materials, books, and furniture needed for our project. A part of the funds raised will also go to the filming of a documentary in Laos, and help our participants cover a part of their costs. Please support us by making a purchase at our online boutique Walk-In Felicity. For any queries, please contact us at laoyep08@gmail.com.
on 29 march saturday,
the yao and taiddum tribes went for a short local cip at vsa singapore.
as part of a gift exchange between the students in singapore and laos,
we guided the clients of vsa through the creation of a photoframe.
the Very Special Arts Singapore is a charity launched in september 1993
the yao and taiddum tribes went for a short local cip at vsa singapore.
as part of a gift exchange between the students in singapore and laos,
we guided the clients of vsa through the creation of a photoframe.
the Very Special Arts Singapore is a charity launched in september 1993
with the aim of integrating people with disabilities into mainstream society through the arts.
some simple steps,
like first painting on the background,
stamping patterns onto the frame,
and then attaching the photograph
(of orchids, of merlions, and the singapore river)
the final product,
a pretty sight to behold indeed.
we will be conducting a similar arts and craft session with the students in laos,
to have the other side of the photoframe completed laotian style
and then brought back to singapore =)
- fengyi
Labels: Local CIP
Our world is defined as one that we can experience.
Sometimes we forget that besides our own existence, there lie billions of lives on Earth. It is nice to remember that besides our own house and nation, there are many people so much different from us, living a way of life we may never get to experience.
Sometimes, it is nice to try and understand these differences. Sometimes, understanding is just not enough. We must emerge from our own world; put a hand across, reach out and touch their lives.
This year, we will try our best to reach out to a small community in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR, a village named Muang Kham off the Mekong river.
Ban Muang Kham is about 30minutes boat ride from Luang Prabang town. It has a primary school (above) for children, with a kindergarden section. The school has 4 classrooms and 4 teachers including the principal. It has a current enrolment of 88 students. The school library is poorly furnished with only a stackful of Lao language books. The children are taught Lao language and mathematics. No english is being taught at the school.
The field outside the school is bare and gets very waterlogged and muddy during the rainy season (July-Oct). There is also a steep climb up to the school which might be hazardous to the school children. A proper flight of stairs and a concrete court will ensure the children's safety and increase the school's ground usability.
The villagers of Ban Muang Kham harvests riverweed (something like seaweed) from the Mekong and dries them with seasoning. It makes a tasty snack!
- Zhihan
pictures from the Recce Jan 08
Labels: Laos
We would like to thank Mr/Ms Anonymous for being concerned with our project. We definitely appreciate your interest. ^_^ For people/fellow expeditionists who do not know what I am talking about, here's the scoop. Mr/Ms Anonymous has raised a couple of very important questions in our chatbox which we might have overlooked in the frenzy of preparation for the expedition. Hence, let's devote a post to reflect on this project, and step back to take a look at the bigger picture.
22 Mar 08, 22:34
Anonymous: What is the breakdown on how the raised funds will be used?
zhihan: 35% of all funds raised will go to participant cost. The rest will be for our beneficiaries at Muang Kham Village =)
24 Mar 08, 21:06
Anonymous: And the long term goals in helping Laos?
zhihan: There is really no long term goal. However, if we are able to make the children have some interest in English, then that may go a long way. We can only talk about long term goal if there is a sustained effort in bringing teams over to the village every year. However, we cannot say for sure that people will rise up to the challenge to take up the role as leaders to lead another team. I can only hope for the best. This goes back to the issue of: why are we going there in the first place if there is really no long term benefits (concrete). I believe this goes back to the individuals of what they set out to achieve as active participants of a Youth Expedition Project. I cannot answer for the participants. Yet on the other hand, I hope participants have a open heart and mind in this project, because really, there is no limit on what you can learn on such a project.
-PnP Team-
Wassup ppl~!! By popular demand, Lai Kuan has modified her design to fit the highly-popular orange T-shirt~!!
This is roughly how it will look like... Zhihan ordered this to be put up for your viewing pleasure... The "around-the-globe" design will be out shortly... Good things are definitely worth the wait ya? 
-PnP Team-
Labels: T-shirt design
MINDs MYG FAMILY DAY - 23rd Feb
it was my first time volunteering for MINDS and i must say it was an insightful and humbling experience. contrary from what i have heard from my friends & siblings, the experience was not as frightening or shocking as expected. probably due to the fact that the IDs from our group were high-functioning (actually im not too receptive of this word cos it makes the IDs sound unhuman, like some kind of machines/robots?) and less dependent on us. in fact, some of them looked so normal to me that it was difficult to differentiate the volunteers from the IDs. however, this is not the case for the other MINDS groups. it is heartwrenching to see such deformities on another human being.
from this experience, i must say i've gained quite a bit out of it. even though the weather was atrocious (super hot!) and with the steep slopes, typical singaporeans would have just walked straight out of there. but not with these IDs. even though most of them had troubles walking, they perservered and often, not complaining at all.
also, it marvels me that they still enjoyed themselves, from the cheerful grins from their faces. a simple outing to an almost nothing to see place, can make them so content. even im ashamed.
swee ling (if i rmb correctly) held onto my hand and i was her big sister (jie jie) for that 4 hrs. it's a feeling i cant describe holding her hand. cos it brings me back memories from other volunteering experiences with children, holding those little hands. but swee ling is 38 years old. i just cant help feeling, sad? but i dont think i even have the right to pity her. cos i believe that in her world, she is happy enough and living well, most probably even better than me.
it's time to reflect on how i should lead the rest of my life.
swee ling (if i rmb correctly) held onto my hand and i was her big sister (jie jie) for that 4 hrs. it's a feeling i cant describe holding her hand. cos it brings me back memories from other volunteering experiences with children, holding those little hands. but swee ling is 38 years old. i just cant help feeling, sad? but i dont think i even have the right to pity her. cos i believe that in her world, she is happy enough and living well, most probably even better than me.
it's time to reflect on how i should lead the rest of my life.
thank you, swee ling and rest! (: (of cos to jackie too!)
- pam (sorry for the outdated post, just to share some of my reflections.)
Labels: Local CIP
Behold! finalised version of the banner
Sent in for quotations, hopefully we will be able to get everything (including T shirts out by the end of 3rd week of March)
- P & P team!
Labels: Banner