Today we (Wolle, Johanna, and I) went on a mountain biking/kayaking trip. We cycled on a winding bumpy dirt road along a river, through some rural areas, passed by the Elephant Mahout Training Center, ate lunch at a tiny hut cafe on the side of the river, and kayaked back home down the river.
Knowing we would be passing a few rural villages, I wanted to take some things to give to the village kids. Many people give out things like candy, but I wanted to do something more meaningful. So I bought a bunch of books for children -- mostly books for helping Lao children learn English or Arithmetic, but also some storybooks with pictures and coloring books for the younger children. 
Then, whenever we passed by a rural area I would give away the books. But I didn't just hand the books to them and leave. Usually I would stop and chat with the kids, sit down with them, read to them out of the books, point to pictures in the book and ask them to identify the object, etc. 
Lao kids are very respectful to strangers and almost all of them from the age where they can speak will yell out the greeting "Sabaidee!" (Good day!) as you pass by. (I'm not sure if they are specifically taught to do this, or if it's just part of their culture). But if you approach them directly they become very shy and apprehensive. Of course as you talk with them they become more at ease. But nothing makes them instantly lose all fear and become wide-eyed with excitement than when you pull out a book and show it to them. Immediately a big circle of kids forms around you as they rush in to get a glimpse. Now, these books cost maybe 50 cents to produce. 
But most of these kids come from families that don't own a single book. Most don't even go to school but even the ones that do only have blank workbooks. There are no textbooks; the teacher writes all the lessons on the blackboard. So a book is a real treat for them, and it shows in the excitement on their faces. The books also allow me to interact directly with the locals and experience the local culture more directly. These interactions were really among the highlights of my trip. I found them so rewarding and gratifying that I would later repeat this activity several more times. Every few days I would buy a bunch of books, rent a bike, ride to some remote village, and hand out the books.Candy would give them about five minutes of pleasure, but books have the power to possibly change and improve their lives. And that's almost magic.
2 comments:
wow mamma...thats so cool of you!
i bet those kids are happy...n this will give u a chance to brush up on ur kindergarten reading skills!
from..me obviously!
That's a great story. But you know teachers -- we're suckers for this kind of thing. :-)
Sounds as if you are having an amazing time. I like "same same but different." In Indonesian, when you thank someone, they will often say "sama-sama," which literally means "same same," or in this context thanks to you too.
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