Sopchia

As usual I have no idea where I am going. As usual, I am in an SUV with 5 other people who speak no English. I have just spent a day and a half in the middle of nowhere up and over muddy roads with huge craters, landslides, etc.

Sopchia is a secondary school atop a huge mountain. Aside from a small village, there is nothing for miles. The few homes in the village are a mixture of bamboo and tin. There is a river flowing. I can’t see it, but I can hear it. I can also hear the deafening bass drowning out my colleague Tao. We are finishing up our training at this school and we need to be finished in 45 minutes. Why? So the teachers can start drinking. It’s Teacher Appreciation Day at this school. There are presentations, special guests, food and of course Beer Lao. Currently though, I am sitting in a bare classroom. So bare there isn’t even electricity. We have brought our own generator so we could show some videos and a projector for slides. I have absolutely no idea what is being said. Once in a while there are words I have heard over and over. I’ve started a list, and hopefully, some of it will stick.

The 17 boys and girls ages 11-14 that I have been with are amazing. So similar to Ari and his friends in many ways. Of course, these kids do not have video games. Only one girl, Alisa, who I swear is half Falang (white) has a phone. Yes, we have become besties and we have taken countless selfies. I wanted to learn about these children, so I went around and asked their names, age, and what they want to be when they grow up. I got one doctor, one teacher, many nurses, policemen, one policewoman, and several soldiers. We went through hand washing, how to use the toilet(yes there are actual steps to use a squatty potty-I failed the activity. But that’s another story), sanitation, and several other topics. We will come back and do nutrition in a few months and help them to build a school garden. There are 334 students at Sopchia, 146 are girls. 95 students are boarding students. They are mainly Khmu, a few Lao, and one Hmong. They walk for hours to get here with some Chile paste, some rice, and maybe some bits of meat. At this school, they live in two extra classrooms. 53 girls in one large classroom on bamboo mats. There are no window screens, and no electricity. I did not see the room where the 42 boys live. Only the girls. I have such mixed emotions about this. I am so happy school is important enough for them to walk and stay here, but these are children! No one helps them here. Many of the teachers stay on campus as well. Their room is much nicer and they also have some bamboo huts. I saw a vegetable garden and asked if the students helped and was told no. That is was solely for the teachers. I asked the girls that were in their room on a break what they are for breakfast and they said Rice, chili paste and bamboo. They said they would have that for lunch and dinner too. Seriously? They eat the SAME THING DAY IN AND DAY OUT? No wonder there is such malnutrition. I asked what they would want to plant in their garden and they want cabbage, coriander, eggplant, sweet potatoes, tamarind, onion, garlic, and mangos. The 4 toilets the children have are pretty far from the dormitory area and up a big hill. I highly doubt any of the kids use those at night. We are building 6 toilets, showers, and hand washing stations near the dormitory area and expect it to be complete in 2 month’s. Meanwhile there is no clean water for the kids. They have to boil it. These are such mature and resourceful kids. It almost makes me sad they have had to grow up so fast. Though, I don’t think they realize it. They don’t know any different. I was curious what the kids who went home for lunch ate, so I asked. Lots of noodle soup, fish, and some kids even said they had grilled rat. Ummmm, yeah…use what you got….

This has been such an amazing experience. They found out it was my birthday and they sang me Happy Birthday, in PERFECT English.

Right now this three foot nothing Proncipal is talking. He is explaining to my team how they will raise money for their “consumable fund”. I want them to tell him to think about how they can have more so that money is always in the fund. This year the Ministry Of Education has said they have no money to give to schools so they need to make sure they have a plan. Kinda sounds familiar huh? I guess my idea of a bake sale isn’t going to work. Lol. Maybe there is someone who graduated from here and has a job in a city and can send some money back? They seem to like that idea….

I’m starving and have to pee. I am scared to eat the food here and the toilets are down some slippery stairs…ones that I can’t really do in the rain with this broken leg…guess I’ll wait.