We are facing unprecedented challenges: After COVID, the economic crisis (inflation of over 43%, devaluation of the KIP), and now the devastating impact of climate change. 💔

Our first water kiosk in Laos was self-sufficient in 7 months, serving 85% of the population (over 4,200 people). Today, due to heavy rainfall, more than 40% of families can’t access drinking water, and our team can’t reach isolated villages on treacherous roads. 😢🌧️🛤️

We are witnessing incredible solidarity, but it’s not enough. The villagers use tractors to fetch water, but the isolation is getting worse, depriving them of essentials like drinking water. 💧🤝 

⚠️Why do we need you ? 
👉To cover the extra cost of petrol to ensure delivery services.
👉To buy gravel and employ villagers to repair paths and fill in holes. 
👉To cover the additional costs of the Nahom kiosk, which income can no longer cover due to climate issues, inflation in the price of raw materials and the devaluation of the local currency (KIP), which is totally beyond our control. 

🙏Scan the QR code for any financial support you can provide 🙏 Or use our bank details on our QR Code for all donations.

⚠️ Our second water kiosk in Huanambak is nearing completion, to achieve this we really need you 🙏🙏🙏

The wait has been lengthy, the stakes high, but at last, 🎉 we are thrilled to announce the commencement of construction for our second Community Water Kiosk 💧 located in Huanambak, Xay District, Oudomxay Province 🇱🇦

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our invaluable donors, without whom this project wouldn’t be possible. We extend our gratitude to the whole TdS Team (Swiss and Lao), our precious advisor Alexandre Cantacuzène and local companies for their dedicated works 🙏 🌟

On March 19th of 2022, Terre des Sourires officially opened the very first community water kiosk in the Ban Nahom region, located in the Beng district of the Oudomxay province. Just 6 months later, this kiosk has already accomplished one of the fundamental objectives of our social entrepreneurship model – achieving self-sustainability! 

Thanks to our dedicated local team, this project is now financially independent, and covers the entirety of the costs associated with the water kiosk (excluding the overall operating expenses of our team based in Oudomxay and Switzerland). This success is clear evidence that the concept of social entrepreneurship can indeed be a resounding success. But the good news doesn’t end there. This April of 2023, we have reached a major milestone by selling over 5,000 jerrycans in only one month! Just imagine the smiles on the faces of the 5,036 residents in the 13 surrounding villages that now have access to TdS’s kiosk. 

To put this into perspective, over 83% of the local population only drinks water from the Terre des Sourires community water kiosk. People have swiftly and smoothly adopted new habits, regularly consuming pure and filtered water that meets the standards of the World Health Organization. This is a tremendous success for us! The happiness of the villagers is tangible. They’ve shared with us the remarkable improvements in their daily lives; a direct outcome of the tireless efforts of our local team and the services provided by our kiosk. We are thus delighted to present you with a sales chart that shows the steady progress: 

We will continue to uplift the lives of those who have long been neglected due to their geographical isolation and low income, and who previously had limited means to develop. We will persist in our efforts with love and passion, creating positive changes in the lives of rural Laotian communities and empowering them to harness their potential.

Today, more than ever, your support and financial assistance are crucial to achieving our goal of becoming self-financed and ensuring the long-term success of our projects. As mentioned previously, we have already reached a significant milestone in our project: the self-financing of the first water kiosk, covering all the expenses of the infrastructure and providing stable employment for the villagers fully managing its operation. Our economic model demonstrates that we can achieve our goals, and by the end of 2028, Terre des Sourires could no longer be economically dependent on public or private funds, thanks to the invaluable support of our donors and potential financiers. Your unwavering support is essential to our success. We thank you for following and supporting us in this journey of providing access to safe drinking water for all !

Drum roll, please 🥁 Terre des Sourires is pleased to announce the arrival of a new member in its team 🥳 Stephanie Garde! 

As Senior Fundraising and Project Officer from the Syni program ! Stephanie brings over 10 years of experience managing multi-million dollar child protection projects around the world, as well as two Masters degrees in Business & Human Rights and Management of Humanitarian Projects and NGOs Development 💪

With her killer skillset, we’re confident Stephanie will help us make an even greater impact in Laos and beyond. 

Welcome aboard Stephanie 🚀 We’re thrilled to have you on the team and can’t wait to see what we can achieve together !!!

Since December 1st 2020, Ly Chongheuly has been hired as Project Manager and Director of TdS Laos. His enthusiasm, curiosity and initiative have enabled him to acquire great skills in the field of social entrepreneurship and drinking water supply.

For more than two years, we worked remotely under particularly difficult conditions. Despite the many difficulties, sleepless nights and stressful moments, we managed to create “TdS Community Drinking Water Company, sole, ltd.”, ensuring that TdS Switzerland would be able to meet the objectives of our social entrepreneurship concept presented to our precious donors. Without him, we would not have succeeded.

Beyond his professionalism, Ly is a trustworthy person who works with his heart and out of love for his people. I would like to thank him warmly for this precious collaboration which is the key to our success!

Team dynamics and cohesion are essential to achieve the goals we have set. Thanks to our communication, our common goals, but also our differences, our Association can now say that it has the main foundations for a successful team! It should be remembered that Ly currently has 5 employees under his responsibility. An important management task which he carries out with brio.

Below, a photo in front of the Oudomxay office with Longmoua, who also plays a key role in our projects. Thank you to the entire TdS Laos team 🙏