INDIGO THREADS FIRST PRIMARY SCHOOL

July 18, 2007

INDIGO THREADS, President and Director, Mary D. Meyer is proud to announce the construction of their first primary school.  The simple brick, 3-classroom building with a tin corrugated roof will be completed for the start of school this fall. Each classroom has 7 windows for light.  Most Southern Laos schools do not have the luxury of electricity particularly in rural areas.  Students in grade 4 and grade 5 will be attending this school. Up until this time, these students walked or bicycled 4 to 6 kilometers from their village on a treacherous highway to attend school. As Laos strives to meet international education standards, the third classroom will be occupied by students in grade 6. The current educational operating system is grades 1 to 11.  Higher education programs are called 11 plus. INDIGO THREADS intent is to have schools conveniently located for students to encourage daily attendance.

The Laotian building process, compared to developed countries, would be considered backwards and extremely labor intensive.  Because humans rather then machines make the construction materials, the quality may be better.  Bricks are made by hand, rebar is painstakingly tied with wire to form the support concrete beams, bamboo is used in a crossed design just as wire mesh is to reinforce the concrete floor, timber is cut from the surrounding village forests and milled at the site, casements are made by hand tools using the tongue and grove method to join and more.  The construction crew of 4 builds a shack on site to live during the construction. Construction started April 20, 2007 after the Lao Lunar New Year.  The costs are within the projected budget of $7,500.00.  INDIGO THREADS considers this a great investment and will continue to build improvements as funding permits.

This same site has another 3-classroom building donated by a Canadian organization in 2005.   Grade 1 to grade 3 with a student body of 105 occupy this building.  This is one of INDIGO THREADS assisted schools.  Students receive uniforms, school supplies, text books and school lunch at their school 4 days per week.  Their families receive supplemental rice, clothing and limited emergency health care.  This assistance will continue for the 150 estimated total numbers of students this school year.

In January 2007, a water well was dug at the same school and donated to the District Education Department by INDIGO THREADS. Besides providing clean, safe drinking water for the students, they are often seen bathing.  A brush sits on the side of the platform to clean their legs and feet.  Each village usually has only one well for 55 families.  Children would not be able to enjoy this activity in their villages.   Water is precious.  The well, also, was provided to allow use of the out-house latrine built and donated by INDIGO THREADS in June 2006.  The latrine was not utilized due to lack of water at the school.  For some students, the use of a latrine was a first experience.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED to furnish the new school with desks (bench & table for 3), blackboards and text books. 

PLEASE, VISIT OUR DONATION PAGE.

For more information contact 

Mary D.Meyer/President-Director mdmeyer@indigothreads.org                                                

                                                            

 

For more information, please contact Mary D. Meyer-President/Director.

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