John Micklos, Jr., Editor in Chief, Reading Today Joins Better Place!

John Micklos, Jr., Editor in Chief, Reading Today Joins Better Place! Here is what he has to say about the Ban Buamlao Laos School Book Project:

"As a longtime educational journalist, I am really pleased to learn about project to purchase books and other supplies for the children of Ban Buamlao Primary School in Laos. Learning to read is the key to all education. "

John Micklos, Jr.
Editor in Chief, Reading Today
International Reading Association

Setting The Record Straight

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Thank you for your interest in Mr. Nou's project

http://www.betterplace.org/projects/455

There's been a few questions regarding the mechanics of book delivery and so forth and I wanted to take a moment to give everyone the complete story.

I have been working on it over 2 years now and just sent out letter number 100 today.

Here is the complete story regarding the Laos Primary School Book Project in Ban Buamlao, Laos. The person who should be thanked for this project is a man named Mr. Nou.

I am the photojournalist who first visited the site in Ban Buamlao, Laos. I am based in Cambodia. A man named Mr. Nou, a 72-year-old Lao national, took me to the school when I was in Laos on another assignment in April 2006.

Mr. Nou takes medicine to people, tries to help the kids learn English etc., but there was no formal project in place....just a person, me, observing an impoverished Lao man and his efforts to help others with his earnings of about $50 USD per month.

As a photojournalist, I normally act as a "go between". When we arrived at the school, I observed that the kids had virtually nothing and at that point, I vowed to help him. That was in April 2006.

I began compiling people's names etc who I thought might help me raise the funds and in October, 2006, David Graham posted a message on lightstalkers.org. stating "funding of assignments".

I spent several days preparing a project proposal entitled "Project Nou" that had to be submitted by the last day of 2006 to changingideas.org....emailed 5 hours before the deadline from Kratie, Cambodia.

I was then asked by changingideas to return to Laos to get more photos, which I did at my own expense.

I visited the school twice during that trip accompanied by Mr. Nou again. I photographed the situation and in May 2007, I submitted over 100 photographs to changingideas.org. In November 2007, I received a 2 1/2 minute slideshow presentation from them that utilized the photos I took.

On August 11th, 2008, David Graham's project, “Ban Buamlao Primary School” showed up on the betterplace.org website, for which I am most grateful.

In reality, this project "belongs" to Mr. Nou. He is the kindest man I have ever met and his commitment to his fellow countrymen is unbelievable. He dispenses aspirin, books that he can afford etc, all at his own expense. Further, he is a very poor man himself.

I just had a simple idea after I met him and that was to help the people of Ban Buamlao. The village is 1/2 ethnic Hmong and half ethnic Kamu and I have remained to this day committed to doing what I can somehow.

As for the hardware store Mr. Graham mentioned, I searched throughout Luang Prabang for 3 days and finally found books that were the right price. I at that time found workbooks for example at 80 cents each rather than the 3 dollars charged for them on the "tourist strip" in downtown Luang Prabang. The official Lao Pathet (communist party) English books may have to be purchased in Vientiane since they are scarce or non-existent in Luang Prabang. I will make the purchase of the books there more than likely and then continue another 9 hours on the bus to Luang Prabang.

It will actually be me traveling back to Luang Prabang, a 10 day round trip from where I am based in Cambodia. I am trying to raise funds for myself so I can afford this, otherwise all my expenses will be out of my own pocket. Neither Mr. Nou nor I have ever received a penny from anyone else.

I will arrange porterage across the Mekong river with Mr. Nou and HE will deliver the books to the kids. I will provide photo documentation but I will tell the kids MR NOU got them the books.

If this is unsatisfactory to Mr. Graham I will, after 32 months and a few hundred hours of work, bow completely out of the project as will Mr. Nou and we will start over. Mr. Nou WILL NOT be cut out of this project and HE is the Laotian here, not me, Mr. Graham or Mr. Clarke.

There is no mail delivery to this village. When I saw a post on November 17th, 2008 asking about sending materials directly

Hello David. is it possible, to send an aid package with writing utensils etc.direkt to the school? I have been to Lao to and all I can say, theses gentle people deserve our help! Thank you for the projekt! Robi

The answer is no . That's what most people would do in a developed country. I asked a Cambodian friend of mine who lives upstairs what he thought just to be sure. He had a business in Laos for 4 years and I have only been to Laos 5 times so I wanted to get a "second opinion". There is no infrastructure to speak of in northern Laos. I was the first non-Asian most of these folks had ever encountered.

Laos is a communist country full of corruption. Mr., Nou advised me not to tell anyone I was working in conjunction with a charity as even the teachers at the school would be trying to figure out how to get their hands on the money. Even if it were possible to send materials directly to the school …well let's just say the person who received the shipment may sell it all before the kids even knew it arrived. At least that is what Mr. Nou says and he has lived in Laos for 72 years.

In the photos, it appears many of the children have books but in reality, they are constructing textbooks by transcribing information from the few textbooks they collectively own to workbooks. Total nonsense.

Since Mr. Nou received no mention ANYWHERE in either the slideshow presentation or the project synopsis on betterplace, I wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight and on behalf of Mr. Nou and the wonderful people of Ban Buamlao, Laos, thank-you for your interest.

Best Regards,

John Brown Photojournalist Cambodia

Ban Buamlao Primary School

PS:

If you would like PDF format flyers to hand out at your workplace or give to friends, just email me and I'll email them out. They are 8 x 10 or 8.5 x 11.

If you would like PDF format copy of the press release I wrote and distributed, let me know.

Please Help Us

Please Help Us

I am trying to get some new schoolbooks for 120 children who attend the Ban Buamlao Primary in Ban Buamlao, Laos. I would appreciate any help you can offer me. Maybe we can scrape up enough money to get the kids a volleyball and a net too!

As a photojournalist, I normally act as a "go between", but in this instance, I felt the need to get personally involved.

The village of Ban Buamlao is located far off the well-beaten Luang Prabang "tourists with money" circuit and is inhabited by Hmong and Kamu slash and burn subsistence farmers. Typifying rural education in this communist country of 6 million, four teachers who each earn $20 USD per month try to educate a student body of one-hundred-twenty with virtually no paper, pencils, textbooks, or much of anything else, including a ball to play with. The youngest children learn their lessons in a detached dirt floored bamboo bungalow.
Laos has had more bombs dropped on it than any other country in the history of our planet. It shows, but the Lao people demonstrate great resourcefulness. They turned bomb craters into fishponds and now they need a little help turning one school into a better place to learn
I am working on this endeavor with a UK registered charity, Changing Ideas.org. Changing Ideas was established by a UK based photojournalist whose own 23 year old son become paralyzed in a diving accident,

The project is being hosted on the web by Better Place.org an extremely innovative philanthropy marketplace developed by a caring team of people in Germany. They were among the conference organizers at the November 1-2, 2008, Vision Summit where inspiring personalities such as Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus spoke.
When was the last time you had the chance to change the world with 1 dollar?
For more information regarding the project, please visit the website at

<http://www.betterplace.org/projects/455>

The World Of Disability

THE WORLD OF DISABILITY

The other day I received an email from a Nepalese man with visual impairment by the name of Mr. Kamal Lamichhane who lives in Tokyo. According to his email he has worked with several organizations concerned with disability, the promotion of human rights, and overall empowerment of persons with disabilities in Nepal. He sounds as if he's quite a guy!Currently he's studying for his Ph.D at the University of Tokyo while researching the factors affecting the employment of those with disabilities. Apparently, he's comparing the employment status of persons with visual, hearing and physical disabilities of Nepal, a very poor but developing country. Further, he's researching how education levels determine access to employment and. the attitudes of employers toward employees with disabilities. The overall objective of his study is to investigate the barriers that people with disabilities encounter before and after finding employment. His professor, Dr. Satoshi Fukushima is both deaf and blind. How inspirational and amazing!

It seems that Kamal saw The World Bank publication above and decided to contact me (guess he reads photo credits…yea) because as he puts it "I often encounter a dearth of data while undertaking research in this area. I have gone through the website of The World Bank and benefited by reading some documents concerning disability; One of them was Social Analysis and Disability, published in March 2007."

OK folks, the man is looking for facts and figures….maybe you can point him in the right direction. Since I'm not an expert in matters concerning Nepal, I advised him to contact Morten Svenningsen, Nepal's top photojournalist.
Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanking you in advance. JB for:

Kamal Lamichhane, Ph.D. Candidate, The University of Tokyo, JapanCell: +8180-6530-4555.e-mail: kamal@bfp.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp

While you are at it, check out Morten Svenningsen's blog and go from there. He's an extremely gifted photojournalist and writer, especially considering he works on the other side of the "digital divide". (I can relate to that here in Cambodia!)
http://www.lightstalkers.org/john_.brown

A Story I Wrote About Child Labor And The Environment At A Garbage Dump In Cambodia That Appeared In Environment Magazine

Nearly 2000 registered workers, including 600 children, earn their livings at the Stung Meanchey landfill in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. They are the among the up to 2% of the population in third world countries that The World Bank has estimated survive by recovering materials from waste.

I wrote about the Stung Meanchey dump and the conditions the people who work there have to endure while earning less than $2 USD per day. The story was published in Environment Magazine.

The story is also posted on Gaia Photos where you will find it here:

Cambodia: Poverty On Smokey Mountain

If you would like to publish this story please let me know.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
Stung Meanchey Landfill Phnom Penh Cambodia Photographs

The Perfect Gift For Kids

The Perfect Gift For Kids!!!!

Hold Off On A Couple Of Cups Of Coffee And Help Some Deserving Kids In Laos. You Will Feel Better!

More Photos Here!

British Tourist Robbed and Beaten in Cambodia

A tourist from England displays wounds he received on December 29th, 2007 near Kampong Cham, Cambodia. After crossing the Mekong River on the Japanese-Cambodian Friendship Bridge with his rented bicycle, he was beaten, robbed and smashed in the face with a large rock by his unprovoked assailant. After a violent struggle with his attacker, he was thrown down an embankment and lost consciousness for about 2 hours. The blood soaked visitor, Martin Hicks, struggled back to his hotel and was interviewed by local police the following day before traveling to Phnom Penh to seek medical treatment for multiple broken bones and undetermined internal injuries.

In America, the scenario above would result in charges of attempted murder. As many photographers from around the world head to Siem Reap to attend the Angkor Photography Festival in November, a word of caution to everyone. Cambodia can be a very violent place and as one former Buddhist monk put it to me, "no place is safe". Four days ago a friend of mine, a mild mannered young man from Cameroon, had a machete pulled on him at a modern looking internet shop. Who would try such a stunt you ask? (The guy looks like boxer Mike Tyson) None other than the internet shop's proprietor after a minor misunderstanding. In most countries, I would presume the inet shop owner would have walked the half block it takes to reach the police station, summoned an officer, and brought him back to the shop to get the misunderstanding ironed out. Not this guy. He walked into the back of his shop house and grabbed his weapon of choice.

Here are a few survival tips:

Don't go ANYWHERE ALONE, not even in broad daylight

TRUST NO ONE (not even harmless looking little kids)

If you must be alone, don't isolate yourself from large groups of people

Especially dangerous activities include any train travel, strolling along the beach in Sihanoukville and riding bicycles in rural areas. If you are attacked, don't resist. Most criminals in Cambodia carry ugly looking shanks and knives while others prefer small pistols or acid. Thankfully, I have only encountered shanks and knives the two times I have been attacked.

Don't wear jewelry etc. Just last week a 12 year old girl riding her bike was robbed of her gold necklace then killed in Svay Rieng.

In Phnom Penh, avoid hiring motorcycle taxis and keep your head on a swivel when walking. I have witnessed numerous people flattened by motorcycles or rolled up onto the hoods of automobiles. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death in Cambodia.

There has also been an increase in gunplay in Phnom Penh. Last week a woman was shot 3 times and killed in the heart of Phnom Penh at Streets 19 & 118. In another incident a man was allegedly robbed of $50,000 while walking in a bank parking lot in broad daylight. In a third occurance, a young woman was murdered while eating with two friends (who were wounded) near the riverfront after work. Allegedly, a 21 year old RCAF (Royal Cambodian Armed Forces) officer became enraged after thugs smashed the windows of his Lexus SUV (how does a 21 year old kid become an Army officer at age 21 and cruise around one of the poorest countries in the world in a Lexus.....well that's another story) and decided to shoot 3 innocent people to get rid of a litlle anger. Avoid becoming an innocent bystander by avoiding walks through the streets. Take a taxi to your next destination as shootings and armed robbery have become a daily occurrence in tourist areas around Phnom Penh.

What do the thieves look like on the streets? Well, for the most part they look "clean". Crime pays well in Cambodia and as a Phnom Penh cop once told me. "It's their job." Many gang members are actually the offspring of wealthy politicians, members of the Army, or wealthy connected business people. They have money to maintain a neat appearance, look quite unsuspecting, and punishment is quite frankly a joke. Instead of justice, think impunity. For the 3rd consecutive year Cambodia's corruption ranking has gone south. Cambodia'now ranks number 166 out of 180 countries, tying the Robert Mugabe led country of Zimbabwe (where the annual rate of inflation as of July, 2008, was 23 million percent and the financial system has completely collapsed). Cool huh?

Last week, Cambodia Daily newspaper quoted Phnom Penh's police chief, Touch Naruth: "Nowadays there are many rich kids using illegal weapons." He added, " We are sorry with the shootings in the city and that many causalities have happened to victims where police can't find the suspects."

The Cambodian Tourist Authority has a new ad campaign proclaiming "Angkor and so much more." Let's hope they start putting a bit more emphasis on violent crime prevention and investigation so we can all be a bit safer here. Be careful and enjoy your stay. Remember, you can look as mean as Mike Tyson but that won't stop Cambodia's armed thugs.

Keywords: Crime, Robbery, Assault, Tourism, Safety, Security, Victim, Beating, Cambodia, Phnom, Penh, Man, Injury, Tourist, Visitor, Criminals, Danger, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, Violence, Murder, Corruption,

www.lighstalkers.org/john_.brown

Little Outreach

A handicapped man clutches 1000 riels (about 25 US cents) at a temple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The health care sector is a shambles in Cambodia despite millions of dollars pouring in to numerous NGO's institutions, and foundations over the past 30 years.
Why?

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Constructing a New Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia is rapidly changing so if you want to see it before in becomes unrecognizable, do it now. Please keep in mind that crime is high in Phnom Penh, and most crimes go unpunished and uninvestigated.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Did you know that in third world countries, 2% of all residents sustain themselves by collecting recyclable material?

Hands

Impoversished street children reach out for 500 riel notes (about 12 US cents) disatributed by a Cambodian parliamentary representative at a dedication ceremony of infrastructure improvements in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Handout

A member of the Cambodian Parliament hands a 5000 riel note to an impoverished woman after a dedication ceremony of new infrastructure improvements near the Mekong River in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

A Show At The Gallery

Here is a little exhibit that took place in Amsterdam awhile back. That Pep Bonet man....well he is a Eugene Smith award winner....it's like winning the ""Oscar" in the category of documentary humanistic photography I suppose. Chris Jordan.....you may not know his name, but you have probably seen his photos.

Pot and Fan

A baby sleeps in a corner of a home in a squatters village in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The alleyway where the home is located is inhabited by approximately 55 people, including many school aged children too poor to attend classes. Each family pays roughly $20 per month for these shacks to various landowners in return for squatting rights. The slum is located less than a block from Phnom Penh's main tourist strip.

www/lightstalkers.org/john_brown

The Net

The Mekong River serves as an attractive fishing spot for residents of Luang Prabang, Laos, The waterway is an important freshwater source for farm irrigation and agriculture throughout Southeast Asia. Further, many fishermen's livelihoods depend upon harvesting fish from the river to earn their livings and contribute to their community food supply. Although Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage City,several dam projects have been propsoed along the Mekong in Laos and Cambodia.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

The Wall

Today in history...36 years ago: August 1,1971—North Vietnam experiences its worst setback, during the Vietnam War with the U.S. and South Vietnam, when approximately 100,000 of its citizens lose their lives in devastating floods that overpower capital Hanoi's dike system.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Election Day 2008

Three exhausted young boys sleep on a wooden bed during Election Day 2008 in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. They are among the 2% of residents living in third world countries that earn their livings collecting recyclable material. This is what Election Day 2008 looked like for them.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Get Books and Balls For 120 Lao School Children

Changingideas.org founder David Graham became inspired to help others after his son was paralyzed in a diving accident, and quickly recognized that many concerned organizations and individuals were frequently unable to successfully realize their humanitarian projects because they lacked essential business skills and other resources. Changing Ideas assists charities and other individuals, including photographers and journalists they have excellent contacts in both traditional and new media which they call upon to help selected projects.

If you want to find out more or donate to this project please go to: http://www.betterplace.org/projects/455

Armed

A Kampong Cham policeman wears an arm band identifying himself as a 2008 polling location official during voting hours at a primary school in Cambodia. Who do you think will be Cambodia's next leader?

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Looking Out

A student gazes out the window during a class at The Ban Buamlao Primary School in Ban Buamlao, Laos. She is one of the 120 students who attend the school daily. Since textbooks are limited, students construct their own by copying information into small workbooks which are also in short supply.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Teacher

Nang Chanton, a teacher at The Ban Buamlao Primary School in Ban Buamlao, Laos, observes her students during a classroom session.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Learning

A student reads aloud while another without a textbook listens at The Ban Buamlao Primary School in Ban Buamlao, Laos.

To help buy new books for these children please visit: http://www.betterplace.org/projects/455

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Signs

Children without hearing (deaf) use signs to communicate during classes at The National Rehabilitation Center in Vientiane Laos.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Blind At Nine

Sixteen year old Khenemone Chanmeechai stands in the doorway of the blind woman's dormitory at the National Rehabilitation Center in Vientiane, Laos. She lost her vision at age 9 as a result of conjunctivitis. By the time her parents got her to a hospital in Vientiane, the damage was irreparable and the doctors told her she would not see the world again. She gradually lost her vision. "It is so hard to live my life but I have to carry on" she says. She is now a singer in a band known as Noun Phalangchai.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Artificial

A 55-year-old ethnic Hmong and former Royal Lao Army (RLA) soldier from Xieng Khoaung (Xiang Khuang, Phonsavan) Laos, displays his antiquated prosthetic device in his dilapidated living quarters at The National Rehabilitation Center in Vientiane Laos. He was among the Hmong guerrillas who fought against Pathet Lao forces in northeastern Laos in conjunction with American B-52 bombers, who attacked from the sky. The war is known as "The Secret War".

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Workout

A 55-year-old ethnic Hmong and former Royal Lao Army (RLA) soldier from Xieng Khouang, Laos, gets a workout on the parallel bars adjacent to his dilapidated living quarters at The National Rehabilitation Center (NRC) in Vientiane Laos. He was among the Hmong guerrillas who fought against Pathet Lao forces in northeastern Laos in conjunction with American B-52 bombers, who attacked from the sky. The war is known as "The Secret War".

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

National Rehabilitation Center Laos

New prosthetic legs await Bao Kham and Thong Xay at The National Rehabilitation Center in Vientiane, Laos. In 2007 the Lao government estimated roughly 400 people become new victims of UXO (un-exploded ordnance) each year in Laos, although outside estimates run much higher. Many of the new victims are children under age ten who are accidentally injured while tending to farm animals or performing other chores in rural Laos.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown

Out Loud

A young girl cries out in pain after receiving a minor injury to her right hand at The Stung Meanchey Landfill in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

www.lightstalkers.org/john_brown