END FIRST SEMESTER / START SECOND SEMESTER 2009

March 19, 2009

Like many United States schools, the Laos education system is based on the semester curriculum with no school during the summer months.  Due to the essential rice-planting season, summer vacation, so to speak, starts about May 15.  Students must help their parents in the rice fields and/or attend to their siblings.  Monsoon season begins around the same time of the year, under normal conditions.

 

At the end of the first semester, 465 students received 2 kilos of sticky rice (glutinous), supplementing their family during the 2-week semester break.  Indigo Threads School Lunch Programs does not provide school lunch for students on holidays and during semester break.   This year we were able to purchase 1,100 kilos of rice for $15.00 per 50-kilo bag, an excellent price compared to last year.   Needless to say, the students were very curious anticipating ‘what’s in the bag’.  Indigo Threads staff handed each individual student their bag of rice with instructions not to shake the bag, fearing it would break on the way home.  I’m happy to report, every bag of rice survived the trip home.

Speaking of accidents.  We were transporting our School Lunch Program to Non Phout Samphone Primary School, the last school served on our daily route.  As we were climbing up the hill to the village entrance, the tuk-tuk became stuck in deep dirt ruts.   Three of us got out to lighten the load while the village men came to rock and push the tuk-tuk up the hill.  You can guess what happened next.  In a blink of the eye, the huge hot pot of soup slipped out of the tuk-tuk.  Fortunately, no one was hurt but we had to continue to the school with 100 hungry students waiting for their lunch.  All we had for them that day were their new school supplies.  It’s on of those things that just happen.  It was a lucky day for the chickens, dogs and pigs.

The second semester began on Monday, February 1, 2009 with most students returning to school.  Indigo Threads donates and distributes school supplies to the students twice a year, at the beginning of each semester.  The same primary school students from the above 4 difference schools and an extremely poor village’s students received 2 Lao style writing books and 2 pens for the start of the second semester.  In addition, 150 students from Phout Samphone Primary School received colorful book bags handmade by my 89-year old aunt.  She has generously made over 600 cloth book bags for the students.  We purchases Indigo Threads school supplies in Pakse enabling us to support the local economy and prices are directed to the Laotian market.  When planning your donation for the 2009-2010 school year, I am projecting we will need 5,000-100 page Lao style writing books, 16 cents each, 2,500 pens, 6 cents and 2,500 pencils 7 cents; a total projection of $1,200.00.

More about Indigo Threads School Lunch Program.  Indigo Threads strives to provide a healthy nutritious school lunch for the students particularly addressing the lack of vitamins and protein in the student’s diet.  In addition to making some ingredient changes to our second semester soup, we have introduced a simple nutrition information board presented to the students BEFORE serving their lunch.  Teachers and students read the board together.  This is a sure way of getting their attention. Unable to project the number of absent students, the same 3 huge pots of soup are prepared daily.  Poor villages are selected where we directly distribute the remainder of the soup to the villagers—babies and young children before adults.  This semester we have added black beans (protein) to the rice soup.  Black beans in Laos are used to make a semi-sweet dessert.  The beans turn the color of the soup to a light purple.  Oh, yes, there were some turned up noses.  Once they tried it, they liked it; not unlike children everywhere.  Although the cost of rice paper squares (starch) remain high (15 kilos = $15.00), variety is important.  This is not an item students would receive at home due to the cost.  At this time of the year, there is an over abundance of dark green vegetables to select from.  We buy directly from the growers.

With your help, Indigo Threads is determined to educate this bright young boy and the thousand other students we have committed to providing education support, from primary school through secondary school and hopefully beyond.  Bounsai, is in the fourth grade at Louyta Primary School.

Mary D. Meyer

Indigo Threads/President-Executive Director

Laos Education Support and Village Development

A Non-Profit (501-3-C)Humanitarian Organization

www.indigothreads.org

mdmeyer@indigothreads.org

- 30 -