We are just back from an incredibly inspiring trip to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. The highlight of this adventure was a week spent in Laos with four other Rotarians & spouses lending a hand to the fantastic charity, Adopt a Village in Laos. We had the good fortune to tour different areas of this beautiful country, learn about the culture, and visit some remote villages to deliver much needed water filters to many families.

A little background: the remote villages of Laos have never recovered from the ‘Secret’ war of the 1960′s and early 70’s. While rich in culture and tradition, their education, healthcare and hygiene conditions are severely lacking. The average lifespan is only 58 years and average age is only in the mid to late 20’s, caused by poor quality water, poor hygiene and general poverty.1

I'm forever grateful to Steve Rutledge (president of AAVIL and fellow member of the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise) and Siphan Phanthavong (head co-ordinator of AAVIL) for this opportunity to visit and learn about this special part of the world and the wonderful people who live there. Read Steve's blog for more about our visit and click on the gallery below for further details.

1: https://adoptavillageinlaos.wordpress.com