Blog Post #30 - Cuso Fundraising

In the spirit of reaching my 30th post, I want to send you all a short message and make a request.

If you are reading, I imagine you have enjoyed my blog on life and work in Laos so far. Honestly, it can get a bit lonely on the other side of the world, but I get a boost knowing that I have friends and family back home who are interested in my work. I understand everyone, including myself, are so wrapped up in our own lives that it can be difficult to stay in touch (especially when throwing a 14-hour time difference into the mix). I like to think that this blog is my way to share my stories, and give people a glimpse into a place and lifestyle that was very unfamiliar to me before arriving.

It's fun speaking with friends who have read a post and add their own two cents. So seriously, I greatly appreciate all who have tuned in, especially the regulars. I am amazed by how international the audience is.

Consider starting blogs yourselves.
I am sure there are many cool stories that others would love to hear

I started the blog not only to reassure my mom that I am alive and well, but also to give exposure to volunteering at Cuso International, and to support fundraising that will help send more volunteers to developing countries like Laos (given the title of the blog post, I am impressed for all that have made it even this far into the post....keep going!)

Myself and Cuso would greatly appreciate any contributions you are able and willing to make. Even $5 goes a long for a volunteer in somewhere like Laos. If you are interested in donating, please visit my fundraising page at....
https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=3492751&langPref=en-CA

(there is also a link on the right hand side dashboard)

I like to think I have made a small difference here in Laos already. We have identified a number of very promising opportunities for developing the Khao Kai Noy business, and ultimately improve the livelihood of the farmers we work with in northern Laos. More help is always appreciated though, so if you know organizations that are looking to provide fundraising to international non-profits to support ongoing projects, like the Khao Kai Noy organic export business through SAEDA, please connect directly with me at jessebrame99@yahoo.ca.

(it must be one of the only remaining Yahoo accounts on the world wide web)

A BIG smile for those that made it this far in the post....
even if you have not already donated....
I will harass you again at a later date :)

Continue to tune in and I look forward to more of your feedback!

Cheers,

Jesse

Blog Post #29 - Safety Can Be Fun

Awareness of your surroundings is essential in Laos. You do not have to worry, but staying alert is key to avoid running into trouble.

Apart from some crazy drivers, you do not have to be concerned about 'people problems' (like violent crime or robbery). It's everything else around you that can be a bit frightening. Although I do not want to paint a negative light of Laos, since its understandable that sometimes growing and modernizing quickly leads to challenges and some things falling to the wayside.

Downtown Vientiane.
That could have been quite a show on the main street

Are you surprised?

Scooter accidents are all too common. This returns to my very first post from Laos - Road Safety. I still don the full protective outfit, so I have been safe from problems (**knock on palm tree**). Others I have seen on the road have not been so fortunate.

There is always one shoe left behind

The girls were okay! Just shaken

If you remember reading, the dogs are a challenge that require special gear to cope with - it's called a bamboo stick.

The dogs can get vicious and I have heard of a few big bite stories.
Imagine being that tail...

The other night I saw five dogs surround another dog who obviously crossed into the wrong territory (History Channel's Gangland: In the Heat). As much as you want to intervene, there is little you can do without just throwing your bike at them. The last thing you want to become is the next target though. Fortunately the victim managed to get away, with me on my bike not too far behind.

They actually swarm in group formations.
Here they are still practicing.

Apart from the protective face mask to deal with some of the dirty air, sometimes I think a fireman's mask would be more appropriate to help put out some of the garbage fires.

Burning garbage >>> Grass fires

Like anywhere in the world, there is no shortage of problems associated to alcohol. In Southeast Asia, sometimes you worry less about the effects of alcohol, and worry more that you are actually drinking alcohol. Although normally safe, I have heard stories (especially from Indonesia) of shop owners mixing methanol into spirits to save money. If you do not die from the methanol, you are likely going blind. Always a safe bet to have a trusted source and make sure the bottle has not been tampered with.

Here a village is distilling whiskey.
The headache the next day must have been caused by methanol poisoning ;)

Don't eat the soap....despite the temptation
(another case of tampered alcohol)

There is nothing wrong with being overly cautious. Danger is often lurking around every corner. BUT...

For the next time you bump into a terrorist

Blog Post #28 - Translating Consultant Buzzwords into Lao

I imagine there are some Deloitte consultants reading this blog. Maybe even some from Pwc, Accenture, BCG or Bain......although those guys speak in Sandscript....an ancient language that no one really understands.

Just a couple of Deloitte consultants speaking to each other in code....mouth wide open trying to sound smart

Regardless, this post is for all of you.....and I imagine some others that have watched House of Lies. There is no doubt that consultants will use AT LEAST one of these phrases in a day. So in case you come to work in Laos, here are some 'direct' translations to help navigate your client conversations.

Considering I am illiterate in Lao, I will avoid providing translations into the Lao language (not that many of you or myself would understand anyways)


"Boil the Ocean" - ______ (Mr. Jesse, we do not have an ocean to boil)

"Buy In" - _____ (Too expensive, we would rather buy noodle soup)

"Deck" - _________ (Why would I waste my time building a deck? My house is on stilts)

"EOD" -  _________ (Maybe I can get it to you tomorrow.)

"Hard Stop" - ___________ (Extra hard braking to avoid the car driving on the wrong side of the road)

"MECE" - _______ (Me see...it's starting to rain)

"Monitor" - STRATEGY, WOW (**universally recognized**)....inside Deloitte joke that not even the Bain consultants are smart enough to analyze and report on

"On the Beach" - _________ (Sure, let's go to Thailand for the weekend!)

"On the Bench" - ________ (No I would rather sleep on my bed)

"SME" - _________ (I eat A LOT of rice, does that make me SME or just full?)

"Straw Man" - _______ (No need, there are not many crows in the rice paddies)

"Synergy" -  __________ (Had a great sleep last night, I have lots of synergy today)

"Takeaway" - __________ (NO, there is air conditioning at this restaurant)

"Wordsmith" - ___________ (A seamstress is much cheaper, she can fix it for you)

"Workshop" - ___________ (YES! Daily stipend and snacks)....I joke, there are many that are genuinely interested in workshops

Fortunately not many nights like this while in Laos

But I sure do miss them
(we are at a project status meeting in this picture of course)

All the best for a happy week ahead!

Blog Post #27 - Sustainable Development through Organic Farming

This next blog post is dedicated to my dad and uncle Jonty because both of them are passionate gardeners, and work hard to grow MANY organic vegetables (although my family is suspicious that my dad spends more time sleeping on the lawn chair next to his garden. I will reconfirm when I am back in Calgary this summer).

I have made a previous post about organic farming (Blog Post #17 - Organic Conversion of Smallholder Farmers), but yesterday I took a field trip with the Ministry of Agriculture to visit the village that supplies one of the two large organic markets here in Vientiane. Having limited knowledge of good organic practices, I was more impressed with their dedication to sustainable development principles (where I have only slightly a bit more understanding). 

The ministry is right next door to my apartment so it took me 10 minutes to roll out of bed,
throw on my bucket hat and stroll over to catch the bus

Sustainable development has at least three main pillars: environmental protection, shared economic benefits, and community relationship building (which includes breaking down gender barriers). At the farm, we witnessed the villagers working hard to accomplish all three (with fewer lawn chairs and less obvious sleeping, if at all).

Have you ever seen this back home?

Environmental Protection

For the farmers at the village, that meant replacing chemical pesticide and fertilizer with natural alternatives. Although the produce may not appear as large and lush, organic practices help soil conservation, water conservation, biodiversity, and overall human health.

I cannot say I have made the switch to organic back home, but I have been given a pretty compelling case for doing so. Now I just need to negotiate a better salary from Deloitte ;)

A solar panel light trap, great for catching moths and their hungry caterpillar children

Insects apparently do not like the smell of lemon grass,
so not only a pest deterrence but another produce to sell at the market
(Maybe I should've just left my shoes in the field at the end of a hot day)

All of those yellow strips are covered in insects.
Less effective but not overly costly to implement

Shared Economic Benefits

The village head said that they had collectively made the decision to switch to organic vegetable farming seven years ago. They now make more money from one month of vegetables sales than they did from a full year of rice cultivation! Historically they had only ever produced enough rice to feed themselves with very little remaining for commercial sale. This is a very similar situation to the farmers we work with in Xieng Khouang province.

They use rice husks as an ingredient for compost.
Making sure nothing goes to waste

Who knew that's where broccoli came from?

Although vegetables are their specialty, freshly picked papayas are never in short supply

All good photographers slightly cover their lens with a finger when taking pictures of spinach

My dad is getting jealous of the Lao farmers and their produce

Community Relationship Building

There are 77 families working together to establish the organic market, promote organic improvements and monitor neighbors' organic farms. I think is an excellent example of a community working together to ensure shared prosperity. As a group, they have also successfully created a 100 million Lao Kip ($12,000 USD) savings fund. It can be used for micro-loans or an emergency fund if a production season runs into trouble.

It's tough to delineate where one farmer's produce ends and another's begins

Here the village head is explaining the record keeping that is completed to monitor organic production.
Keeping such records is important to maintain organic certification.

Although gender based roles are still entrenched, women do play a important role in the community. When asked about getting more involved in production decision-making they said they were much better at selling and handling the money anyways. They control when their husbands are able to buy any BeerLao. Now that is power!

Was not sure where in sustainable development using tires to support tree growth was relevant,
but I think it is creative so it deserves a mention

Blog Post #26 - LOPA Business Planning Workshop

This past Friday and Saturday SAEDA facilitated a business planning workshop for the new Laos Organic Promotion in Agriculture (LOPA) organization. Xiengkhouang District (i.e County) and Provincial agriculture / forestry officials, along with farmer representatives, were all in attendance.

Asleep or captivated?

Apart from sleep, there are few things that I'd rather be doing on a Saturday morning ;)

The workshop was an opportunity to provide stakeholders with an overview of ongoing business planning initiatives, while simultaneously giving them an opportunity to explain challenges faced, share priorities and contribute feedback. Although LOPA still has many important decisions to make, Lao business culture emphasizes seeking mutual agreement, so workshops like this are important to gauge support and give all stakeholders an equal opportunity to voice an opinion. Lao culture is also generally unconfrontational, and therefore reading body language and facial expressions is important to guide the discussion.

Brainstorming!

Below is a sample collection of some of the materials created. Fortunately I kept them high-level so that you do not have to commit to too much reading (and so that my translator did not pass out from exhaustion by the end of the day).

We spent a good portion of the day reviewing the value chain, along with the challenges stakeholders face along it. We received some very good insight into unforeseen headaches.

These priorities highlight how farmers foresee an organization like LOPA helping them overcome the challenges they face.

The challenges and priorities of the Lao farmers are not unique. There have been many successful NGO's that have created unique organic agriculture business models, and I wanted to inspire them with some of these other strategies.

LOPA will need to leverage lessons from these case studies to frame their own business model.

LOPA cannot do everything to solve all challenges along the value chain. The team must continue to assess the feasibility of various initiatives, and address the most important priorities of stakeholders involved.

Although many in Xiengkhouane seem to think that KKN is the next big global craze, I ask them to step back and make sure that we first confirm there are people actually willing to buy the stuff. Otherwise I may be putting on some serious tonnage from all the extra product that needs to be eaten. Talk about spoilage.

We have a lot of work still to do, and I will need to facilitate a more comprehensive internal workshop with the LOPA leadership team to address these next steps.

It wouldn't be a Lao meeting without an assortment of snacks to complement coffee....

My guess, the most exciting part of their day

...And a post-workshop big karaoke dinner with local Xiengkhouang dishes.

You'd think the Xiengkhouang farmers would want a change from their usual meals when visiting Vientiane,
BUT no, they are passionate about the Khao Kai Noi, so we went to a Xiengkhouang restaurant

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!!!

Blog Post #25 - Family's Christmas Vacation through Southeast Asia (Part 3 - Laos)

Now I may be a bit biased, but Laos never fails to impress and I am very glad that my family got the opportunity to visit where I currently live and work. Such a beautiful country, along with its people! It may be easy to overlook when planning your next vacation to Southeast Asia, considering the pull of its more well-known neighbours. BUT do not skip! It will not disappoint and it is a very nice break from the busy chaos that is Vietnam and Cambodia.

LUANG PRABANG

Highlight: Luang Prabang was my favorite stop on the 3-week trip, so its tough to narrow down to one thing. I think the river cruise we did is definitely up there on the list though. Also swimming at Kuang Si falls is probably the closest thing to the Garden of Eden (without the throngs of tourists of course)

Discussing the meaning of life (or the next video game he plans to get)

A unique way to make jerky.....maybe a future design for rice drying?
The rice will come with a satellite TV package

They outplayed me. Obviously too much sticky rice. Valid excuse?

A couple of sirens on the rocks

Somehow managed to cut out all the people, but believe me they are there in numbers

Probably my favorite of the trip.
I want to live at a temple....just for a week

Talk about relaxing. Such gentlemen making the only lady sit

Such a gentleman sharing my coffee....

Practicing my Laos (despite my 'wise chin rub', the conversations are not deep)

Told you about the flowers 

Timed perfectly

....sure is

Wouldn't be a showcase of Laos without some BeerLao

VIENTIANE

Highlight: Introducing the family to my coworkers and going out for a coffee at my go-to spot was pretty cool! Maybe staying at the swanky Lao Plaza Hotel down the street from my apartment was another highlight. Back to having showers over my toilet...

My standard spot for coffee breaks (and naps) away from the office

She is a volunteer English teacher back home. Those monks are lucky to be working with a professional. My mom felt more fortunate though

[After a short conversation]..."I'm going to have to call you back. Nearing the end of monk's prayer"

I swear we don't choose to cut my dad out of the photos. He was probably just sleeping somewhere

And the album wouldn't be complete without (more) dogs!

Can never have too many

Finally, I spent this past Sunday playing around with Movie Maker at a cafe. Here are the results. Hope you enjoy and happy 2017!!! (it's also on Facebook if you want better quality)

Stay tuned for more of the weekly posts as I start the second half of my volunteer placement in Laos