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Niew to the Rescue in Attapeu
Bounniew “Niew” Somesak led the Luang Prabang LEOT School’s effort to directly deliver aid to the neediest victims of the Attapeu dam collapse. The school had raised $10,000 from its supporters, and this week Niew completed his most challenging task by travelling to the devastated Sanamsai District by plane, bus, truck, and boat to present villagers with much needed food and clothing. His rescue mission, with support of the Department of Education and Sport, began by slogging his way to the scene to determine the villagers’ needs. He then worked with local officials to purchase the goods. Niew soon discovered that no boats were available to transport the aid. Being resourceful, he scrambled to find a vehicle and obtained a 4×4 truck. The dangerous journey forged through deep mud and crossed rivers, where bridges had been washed out. Eventually Niew reached several of the neediest villages and spent the day delivering the goods to the people. Aside from being a hero, Niew is the young community support manager at the LEOT school in Luang Prabang. His normal role is to manage projects to repair rural schools, install electricity, and provide clean water to primary and elementary schools.
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Perseverance Pays Off for Lao Natural
On 15 August, Lao Natural launched its Luang Prabang showroom, marking a milestone in their journey to create and sell several lines of locally sourced natural toiletries, massage oils, and a range of other products. The company’s founder, Kornkanok “Korn” Sriwan, had been working in Thailand’s hotel spa industry, and came to Laos in 2012 to hunt down local natural products for herself and hotel guests, but was unsuccessful. However, she had an idea, and moved to Luang Prabang. “I started making my own products, and wanted to teach Lao people how to make their own,” Korn explained. “I wanted to work with local students and village girls to give them a career path, and we came up with different products using local ingredients.” Leaving the Thai hospitality and spa industry to embark on a start-up for non-existent products in Laos takes courage and know how. Korn has both. “I knew we could produce good quality products in Laos, which removes the need to import them from Thailand or other countries,” she said. “With a little help, we dug deeper and discovered our core benefit would be in using local ingredients to develop great products.” Korn knew the road to success would be riddled with challenges such as start-up costs. “Our high initial investment was due to various factors such as constantly sending our staff for training and the time it took to introduce our products to the market.” Lao Natural limited their original product line to five different types of soap bars, but they faced an issue with production consistency. They also discovered the need to import some ingredients. Having chiselled through the challenges, it was time to take the bars of soap to market. “To achieve growth in the beginning, we focussed on 4-5 star hotels in Luang Prabang, which have been very supportive,” Korn said. A look inside Lao Natural’s new showroom reveals more than soap, as in a few short years their product range has expanded to 10 diverse lines with 29 different items. The shelves display bath salts, a variety of massage oils, foot lotions, and custom scented toiletries that every hotel needs: shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, hand wash, and body lotion. They also present raw Lao honey, coconut oil, and even a natural mosquito repellent. Today, rooms in 13 of Luang Prabang’s top properties feature Lao Natural products, including We Are Lao members AVANI+, Parasol Blanc, Villa Maly, and Luang Prabang View Hotel. Korn added that the company is starting to expand to Vientiane, with the Landmark Hotel already on board. Some local boutiques and restaurants sell their retail products. While natural products are environmentally friendly, Lao Natural is at the forefront of taking its packaging to the next CSR level. “We deliver our shampoos, conditioners, and other liquid products in reusable containers, and give a large discount to hotels employing our reusable mosquito repellent bottles,” Korn said. “We encourage hotels to buy in bulk, including large bars of soap, which require less wrapping.” “We use recycled paper to package some retail products,” she added. “The company internally recycles, and we share our methods with our wholesale customers. Korn said that Lao Natural remains committed to its original idea and objective. “Lao Natural continues to focus on providing quality, natural products for hotels looking for a more genuine experience in their toiletry needs,” she said. “We pride ourselves on using local materials, ingredients, and services, while promoting community building to deliver a truly Lao product.” Korn added that by employing students from ethnic minorities, Lao Natural has been able to provide them with a means to further their education and facilitate growth in their career paths. “Working with Lao Natural means working with Laos.” To uncover more about Lao Natural, visit their Facebook page.
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Lao Green Season Is Getting Soggy in 2018
Over the past 30 days, two tropical storms have inundated many parts of the country, with floods causing the temporary closure of tourist sites and partially submerging Vientiane’s new Nakharath City shopping centre in the Mekong Riverside’s Chao Anouvong Park. Attapeu Provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department official, Bounthong Bouphasavanh, told the Vientiane Times that the Xe Pha and Xe Ponglay Waterfalls were currently inaccessible due to thick mud covering the road. The heavy rains have also cut off roads to some attractions in Khammouane Province. Popular Konglor Cave is temporarily closed as a precaution, according to provincial official Bounthavy Sisombath. “Authorities have closed it for safety reasons but will open it when the water level drops. Officials are monitoring the water level and will announce when it is safe for visitors.” In Oudomxay Province, Thalae Waterfall and Tham Chom Ong Cave are temporarily closed. “It’s common for authorities to temporarily close some tourist sites in the rainy season, especially caves, waterfalls and national protected areas, because access roads are in poor condition and can be dangerous,” provincial official Bounkuan Mitmeuangxay told the Vientiane Times. “But most other places of interest are open as they are located in towns.” In spite of the widespread rainfall and flooding, most of the nation’s tourist attractions remain open, including those in Luang Prabang and Savannakhet, according to local authorities. However, rapidly rising water levels in the Mekong are beginning to cause havoc at riverside destinations. Yesterday at around 06:00, the river overflowed the retaining wall at the newly opened Nakharath City shopping centre in Vientiane’s Chao Anouvong Park. Meanwhile, provinces in other at-risk areas were alerted, and officials began monitoring the Mekong’s water level, especially in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakxan District in Bolikhamxay province, Thakaek in Khammouane, and Pakse in Champasak. According to the Meteorology and Hydrology Department, the level of the Mekong in Vientiane reached 11.20 metres by Sunday afternoon, while the warning level is 11.50 metres, with the danger level at 12.50 metres. The level of the Mekong reported yesterday morning in Pakse was above the warning level of 11 metres and had risen to 11.70 metres, not far off the danger level of 12 metres. Elsewhere, the authorities are warning people living near the Nam Ngum and Xe Bangfai Rivers to move their belongings to higher ground and pay close attention to weather forecasts and emergency announcements. By Siladda Souliyong and Sisay Vilaysack Source: Vientiane Times
