Since July, deadly floods have been affecting Laos.
Today, our local team based in Oudomxay, a previously unspoilt province, is experiencing severe flooding. The water in the rivers keeps rising. The days to come look disastrous with undeniable consequences in terms of health, food security, access to drinking water, lack of electricity, lack of health centres able to receive the victims of this natural disaster.
Emotions are strong, fear is growing 😔🥲 I feel totally powerless to live this drama from Switzerland. Despite the distance, my heart goes out to our team, to the Laotian people… what else can I do? 😥😢😢😢😢I have no words to express my pain, my anguish…..
I share with you some photos sent by our project manager Ly Chongheuly.

Yesterday, we celebrated the 4th months of the opening of our first community water kiosk 💧in Ban Nahom, Oudomxay Province, Lao PDR 🥳. Despite the economic crisis affecting the country and the monsoon representing a significant meteorological challenge, our results are positive:

✓ Beneficiaries are now being accustomed to our services
✓ “Customers/ villagers” are becoming loyal 
✓ Sales are increasing
✓ The costs related to the water kiosk are covered by the income generated (self-financing of our Water Kiosk ensured)

The tenacious commitment of the local employees in charge of the water kiosk is remarkable 💪 and our local team is constantly surprising us by their dedication 👏

Now that our first area of action, access to clean water, is set up, we will soon be ready to move on to the next step 👉 the implementation of hygiene and healthy nutrition trainings and … 🥁 the construction of our second community water kiosk 💧 More news will come soon 😄

Here are some pictures of some of our sales points in the most remote villages of the region.

We faced countless obstacles, we had to be patient to accept a delay of more than two years due to the pandemic, we spent sleepless nights, our local team had to face the most difficult weather conditions, drive on tracks destroyed by heavy rains, etc.

But we never gave up, we believed in it, our donors and partners trusted us and today we succeeded!
It is with great emotion that I announce the official launch of the first TdS community water kiosk in the Nahom area, Oudomxay province, Lao PDR 🥳🥳🥳🥳.

I would like to warmly thank:
⁃ Our local TdS team, especially our project manager Ly Chongheuly who brilliantly led the preparation and launch of this first water kiosk.⁃ Our employee Luongmoua who assisted Ly with ease.
⁃ Our precious donors for their trust, immense generosity and loyalty, without whom this water kiosk would not have been possible.⁃ Our artist with a big heart, Denis Vautravers, for the proceeds from the sales of his paintings entirely donated to TdS.
⁃ Marlene and Peter Schmid for their important financial contribution in this first water kiosk and for funding our next water kiosk.
⁃ Our partners, including the Barilla Group for their trust, financial support and future involvement in our projects.
⁃ My exceptional and brilliant Professor Soli Makohliso for his valuable collaboration in the development of this concept and who has mentored and guided me over the past two years.
⁃ Our Strategic Advisor, Alexandre Cantacuzène for his constant support and wise counsel in the steps taken to reach this first major milestone.
⁃ The villagers and communities of the Nahom area for their patience and help to our local team.
⁃ I also thank all the people who follow and encourage us.
🙏🙏🙏

Now let’s move on to some numbers:
Today, there are :
👉 5 villagers hired and employed by TdS to run the water kiosk.
👉More than 5’000 people who have access to drinking water.

An important point: some villages are more than 4 km away from the water kiosk. To ensure that no one is deprived of this vital need: drinking water, a delivery service has been set up covering the most remote areas. Communities closer to the water kiosk can reach it by motorbike, car or on foot. We will adapt our services to the needs of the beneficiaries if necessary.

More data will be presented soon! Our areas of intervention address other basic needs, but for now we are focusing on access to clean water and giving beneficiaries time to make this new community space their own.

Finally! After five weeks of delay due to the pandemic context in Laos to obtain the results of the first water analysis of the Nahom borehole, we have obtained the authorization from the concerned authorities which allows us to start the construction of our first water kiosk! The company Indara and our local team arrived on site this morning