Mr. Khambai Died Too Young
July 18, 2011
Indigo Threads honors and celebrates Mr. Khambai's life.
Mr. Khambai and his wife raised their 3 school age children at Nalath Village; a small tidy rural Southern Laos village with 33 other impoverished struggling families. The family lives in a tiny bamboo walled, thatch roof, stilted house with a perpetual leaking roof. Locating forest food sources and carrying river water to boil were left to his wife and 14-year old son, as Mr. Khambai became thinner and weaker. Despite his failing health, he was passionate his children attend school; an opportunity he did not have.
While providing Indigo Threads Lunch Program at Nalath village, Mr. Khambai did not come for lunch. Concerned, we brought lunch to his house and learned he was too sick, suffering with ‘sweet urine. ‘Sweet urine’ (diabetics) is a certain death among Lao’s rural impoverished people. Mr. Khambai’s family could not afford the expensive on-going medicine (recently available in Laos). He died May 15, 2011 at age 50 from diabetes, malnutrition and complications. His dreams to see his children complete their education and live a better life with grandchildren, too, are lost. His death was preventable with cost effective medicine, health care and a sustainable healthy diet. Mr. Khambi died too young.
Many will miss our friend. A visit to Nalath Village isn’t the same without Mr. Khambai’s enthusiastic warm welcome.
Indigo Threads has a long close relationship with Nalath Village Chief Lam and villagers. You may recognize Mr. Khambai’s exquisitely handwoven bamboo baskets. He and 3 elder villagers participated in our Basket Weaving Program to provide income for their families. Lao’s bamboo basket weaving has become a lost traditional art.
Foot Note: After all of our schools’ students receive their lunch, Indigo Threads School Lunch Program disturbs the day’s remaining nutritious soup to surrounding impoverished village youngest children and elders.
Submitted by Mary D. Meyer/Indigo Threads on-site Project Manager.
Comments and remarks are welcome at mdmeyer@indigothreads.org
While providing Indigo Threads Lunch Program at Nalath village, Mr. Khambai did not come for lunch. Concerned, we brought lunch to his house and learned he was too sick, suffering with ‘sweet urine. ‘Sweet urine’ (diabetics) is a certain death among Lao’s rural impoverished people. Mr. Khambai’s family could not afford the expensive on-going medicine (recently available in Laos). He died May 15, 2011 at age 50 from diabetes, malnutrition and complications. His dreams to see his children complete their education and live a better life with grandchildren, too, are lost. His death was preventable with cost effective medicine, health care and a sustainable healthy diet. Mr. Khambi died too young.
Many will miss our friend. A visit to Nalath Village isn’t the same without Mr. Khambai’s enthusiastic warm welcome.
Indigo Threads has a long close relationship with Nalath Village Chief Lam and villagers. You may recognize Mr. Khambai’s exquisitely handwoven bamboo baskets. He and 3 elder villagers participated in our Basket Weaving Program to provide income for their families. Lao’s bamboo basket weaving has become a lost traditional art.
Foot Note: After all of our schools’ students receive their lunch, Indigo Threads School Lunch Program disturbs the day’s remaining nutritious soup to surrounding impoverished village youngest children and elders.
Submitted by Mary D. Meyer/Indigo Threads on-site Project Manager.
Comments and remarks are welcome at mdmeyer@indigothreads.org
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