Laos: challenges from geopolitics, volatile prices
A farmer tends their fields in stifling temperatures as surrounding hills are choked by smoke from field and hill fires across the region, Thursday, April 4, 2024, in Luang Prabang, Laos. Financial officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were meeting in the city to discuss ways to secure financing to help shift to […]
Worst Ever Air Pollution in Laos 2023
Smog caused by the annual burning off of fields has hit all-time highs in 2023. The annual burn-off runs from Dec to April with March traditionally being the peak. From Jan to Feb large particles of ash fell from the sky and by March the particles below PM2.5 caused the air to become hazardous – […]
Laos confident COVID-19 pandemic under control with one case recorded
June 26, 2022 VIENTIANE (LAOTIAN TIMES/THE STAR) – Laos reported just a single case of COVID-19 and zero deaths across the country on Friday night, the Laotian Times reported. The daily COVID-19 tally from the Centre of Information and Education for Health showed that only one case of COVID-19 had been recorded in Vientiane Capital, […]
Continued support for Chansy
I know you are interested in how Chansy is progressing. With the help of John and other locals in her village and your support, Chansy has received regular food and toiletry supplies over the last year. She is still interested in moving into a blind center house when she can. This has been delayed because […]
COVID-19 Vaccination rates in Laos
A total of 5,136,399 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Laos, (70% of the country’s population), according to the Lao Ministry of Health. A total of 4,367,592 people had been given a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, equal to 59.52% of the population. In addition, 953,825 people have had […]
Hunger remains a major problem in Laos
One-third of children in the country have limited access to food, World Food Program says. In a file photo, students eating lunch at a school in a remote area of Oudomxay province in northern Laos. Citizen Journalist Despite economic growth, one-third of Lao children and about 20 percent of the country’s population as a whole continue […]
Lao authorities urge people to get vaccinated
The Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Laos achieved good results last year, with at least 50 per cent of the population vaccinated. The government urges people in all at-risk groups to come forward and be vaccinated to minimize the impact on people’s health and the economy.
Laos COVID Vaccine update
The sixth batch of China-donated Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines has been handed over to Laos this week upon arrival at the Lao capital Vientiane on Wednesday. A million doses were donated. China is trying to donate 6.8 million doses in 2021. Laos has a population of approximately 7 million people. The Republic of Korea will also […]
Villages Locked down for COVID-19
Today an order was issued to lock down Luang Prabang to stop the spread of COVID-19. Authorities in several Lao provinces have ordered lockdowns with travel banned between some districts due to a surge in Covid infections. All Covid rule-breakers will be fined. This includes anyone who comes into contact with a known COVID case […]
People in Nong Khiaw quarantine with no food
UPDATE from Nic Lutz, local resident in Nong Khiaw. Emergency donation to provide food for quarantined locals in Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi On behalf of Nong Kiau Riverside, Delilahs Cafe & Mandala Ou Resort I would like to say a massively heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone that has donated so far. Your generosity is […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 12-14
Today is Saturday, the final day of the current week-long NZ lockdown. I have Sunday to go and then leave Monday (day 15). Today is also my day 12 COVID-19 test. This is my 4th test in total. One in Laos on the 18th and 3 in NZ Day 0, 3 and 12. I got […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 11
Today started with a 7.1 earthquake at 2.27am followed by more with another 8.1 at 8.30am. I hadn’t slept well and while I didn’t feel it it is what perhaps woke me. A tsunami warning was issued for numerous areas to evacuate. I was okay in Auckland as were friends and family. Evacuation advice overrides […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 10
Thursday 4 March wow. It’s actually my 11th day today but until the day turns over I guess it’s Day 10 since I started at Day 0. I escaped my room briefly today to take my 7 items of laundry down, my slot was 7.30 to 7.35. Why I \don’t know as it was actually […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 9
I have to think about today as the days are blending into one another. Six books by famed children’s author Dr. Seuss have been pulled from publication by the company that manages the author’s legacy. According to Dr. Seuss Enterprises, titles such as “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 8
I spent some time today listening to music while pottering about. Daft Punk have split and it was announced by them posting an epilogue video. They were so influential in the early 1990s with early house. The best eroa of music!
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 7
The day passed quickly. I heard a rustle at the door, the sound of a brown paper bag and a knock-knock. A delicious roast pork loin came for dinner – perfect.
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 6
When will this be over? Another sleepless night. Went to bed at 11pm feeling tired but then I was wide awake and not comfortable. I had about 203 hours sleep. The nurse knocked at my door “CHECK”, she said. I got out of bed and put some clothes on. “TEST” she shouted again. I put […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 5
I had a terrible sleep, I was wide awake and so got up at 1am and did some work until 6am. I grabbed a few hours kip then. Felt a bit crappy when I rose. The carpark outside seems empty. There are 150 rooms here so would expect to see more people. Maybe it’s to […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 4
The day started with my breakfast pack (a massive service of granola), followed by a nurse taking my temperature with a gun. The phone ran to confirm my menu for tomorrow. With the amount of food, perhaps they think there are two people in my room. I heard the familiar noise of food arriving and […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 3
I woke at 2am and again at 7am. I’m still not sleeping well. I feel a bit down in the evenings, it’s weird being locked up. I did some exercise before eating breakfast, an egg muffin. The NZ Defence Force lady called the phone in my room asking me to come for my day 3 […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 2
I woke at 6am to see tomorrow’s food menu under the door. Enchiladas and Roast Pork Belly are on the menu. My back is sore from not being used to such a soft bed! The Sebel Manukau Hotel is a fine location to be help in Quarantine. The staff are nice, the room is clean […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 1
After feeling to exhausted yesterday it wasn’t until midnight that I got to sleep. This is good though as I get used to the NZ time difference which is 6 hours ahead. It’s day 2 really now isn’t it. I wonder if they call it day 0 so try and make us think we haven’t […]
My COVID Journey: Quarantine-Day 0
I didn’t think I was going to make it out of Laos. I got to the Vientiane airport 3 hours early and after 3 hours I still didn’t have a boarding pass. I was getting anxious. I went to the airport at 7pm with two friends, one has been helping people exit Laos over the […]
My COVID Journey: Prologue
In the future, I may look back on this and remember what is was like to travel during COVID-19. Of course, unless one really had to, you would not choose to travel at such a time. I will summarize my two-week quarantine in New Zealand. In the meantime here is a prologue while I remain […]
From Cambodia to Laos: A Journey of Inspiration and Purpose
Over a decade ago, a transformative trip to Cambodia ignited a flame within me, setting me on an unexpected path of discovery. It was a journey that forever altered my perspective and led me to the enchanting country of Laos. here I reflect on the profound impact of my travels, the loss of a dear […]
Education, Featured, Food, Health, Laos, Luang Prabang, Poverty, School, Travel, UXO, Volunteering
Helping victims of bomb accidents
Up to a third of the bombs dropped did not explode. In 2008, 300 people a year were injured or killed and today that figure is closer to 50. Uncleared land still poses a threat to farmers and villages and sadly people still suffer injuries today, often lost limbs or eyesight.
Exhibition, Health, Laos, Luang Prabang, Poverty, Travel, UXO
Vientiane Opthamology Centre
It’s almost been 12 month since I rushed down to Vientiane to the Opthamology centre after losing sight on one of my eyes. Looking back, I was surprisingly calm throughout the whole ordeal which took about 4 months with professionals to try and get to the bottom of the situation. At the time I thought […]
Uplifting a local village school in Laos
I visited a village with colleagues near the famous Kuangsi waterfall as we’d been told their classrooms were in need of repair. It is a typical school in a village serving the families from that village. There were 8 classrooms split among two buildings. One was wooden and would be very hot much of the […]
Community Development, Donation, Education, Health, Laos, Luang Prabang, School
Laos and Cambodia eliminate trachoma
September 21, 2017, Helio.com Trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, has been eliminated as a public health problem in Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, according to a WHO press release. WHO launched the Alliance for the Global Elimination of Trachoma by the year 2020 in 1997, and in 1998 the World Health […]
This past month helping Orphanages and School in Laos
Time has passed quickly since late August when I stopped in Saigon, Vietnam. I joined Love Shines from Singapore on a mission to orphanages looking after youth with hydrocephalus, also called Water on the Brain. It causes enlargement of the head and is fatal. I visited two orphanages and we purchased supplies at local stores for these programmes. […]
Death of a school student
Today has been a very sad day with the news of the death of one of the school students. We all realise that life can be snatched away very quickly in the developing world yet we still reel against its unfairness. Novice Luk celebrated his 21st Birthday just a few days ago. He was a […]
Delivering aid to three villages decimated by flash flooding
On Saturday, teachers and volunteers from school in Luang Prabang joined friends from a Laos organisation Education and Sharing to deliver aid to three villages decimated by flash flooding at the end of the monsoon season. The villagers had no warning of the impending disaster as it had not rained for many days. Four people […]
Laos Statistics
Thailand promotes itself as amazing, Vietnam can well be described as bustling, Cambodia’s Khmer temples are awe-inspiring… but the adjective that was most often applied to Laos is forgotten. I know stats are not usually exciting, however I am often reminder how little people know about Laos and some stats may put the country and the […]