LaoAmericans

We will definitely return to Laos.  We are hoping to visit again in the near future but different time of the year when it is cooler. We want to visit family and explore new cities because we love to explore!

Center for Lao Studies’ Extravaganza Fundraiser 2017 is our biggest fundraiser to date. Saturday, October 14, 2017, 6:00pm-12:00am

“We were deeply touched by how excited students and community members were to have their own creative space for learning, and are honored to have been a part of something big—contributing to a better education for hundreds of students.”

I am heartened by the extraordinary progress we have made together. I have been most fortunate to have the opportunity to represent the United States in Laos, and I want to thank the Lao people, both those in the United States and in Laos, for their warm hospitality and support. During our time in Laos, my wife and I have visited all 18 provinces in Laos, and in each of them, we have been impressed by the beauty of the countryside, the beauty of Lao culture, but, must importantly, by the beauty and the warmth of the Lao people.

In was a painful first hand experience that inspired Kenro Izu to start  ‘Friends Without a Border’: “In a pediatric bed, I saw a girl accompanied by her father. The father could not afford $2.00 for her treatment. The girl was not given any pills or treatment and died in front of my eyes.” 

Ambassador Daneil A. Clune and his wife Judy speak to a child in a school that benefits from the World Food Program run McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (IFEP) in Chom-Ong village, Oudomxay Province

Postcard images from 19th & 20th century Laos, researched and compiled from various archives. Featuring many ethnic groups and indigenous people.

Amy believes that personal stories have the power to change people and mobilize tangible impact in the world. She’s on a mission to inspire the world to grow emotionally and spiritually with a deeper appreciation for human connection.

Jhai Coffee House will be the world’s first philanthropic coffee roaster and cafe located at the source. Our cozy cafe will serve locally grown and roasted coffee to the local community, as well as to the hundreds of tourists that come to the area to visit the coffee farms each day.

“Elephants are coming! Elephants are coming!” Hundreds of young voices shout in chorus, the excitement palpable. But these are not just any elephants—they are four-legged libraries! In Laos, the Asian elephant has long been a national symbol.

I really want to get Lao American communities to help by using their special knowledge and skills to work within the rural communities, because they have a lot to offer. I truly enjoy what I am doing.

“Now that you have the gift of a school by our kind brothers and sisters in America, it is your responsibility to fill up the classrooms, to get educated so you can get out of poverty. Do not take their gifts for granted. Use it.”

Papayas, jackfruits, coconuts, bananas, bees, bamboo, omelete, chili sauce, smoothie, sticky rice, soups, salads, skewers and stews. Dennis travels to Laos to visit family in late 2011 and shares with us his favorite eats.  Enjoy!

Photographer Xiaohoa Michelle Ching turned her lens on Laos in early 2011 to capture beautiful images of daily life. Michelle’s ethnic Chinese father met her mother in Laos before they immigrated to the US.

U.S. Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)/Facial Plastic Surgeon Kyle Keojampa, MD and his fiancee U.S. General Surgeon Melanie Gainsbury, MD traveled on a medical mission with the Lao Rehabilitation Foundation http://lao-foundation.org/ for cleft lip/palate and ENT surgery. For Kyle the trip was professionally and personally significant.