Distribution of Clothes, Blankets, & Mattresses etc
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Major Urgent Issue - Being prepared for the September 2015 intake of over 100 children:
Story - Dec, 2013 Freezing conditions at Suan Luang Facility Dec 2013 and the children have very little clothing. Our first-in volunteers discovered that out of the 600+ children at Suan Luang Facility - there were about 120 of the children - 50 boys and 70 girls who had arrived new at the facility in September 2013 most of whom did not have a jacket, jumper, or a blanket or shoes or socks nor underwear and the other children didn't have enough to share. The temperature was very cold from early Decemberr 2013 through to February 2014 sometimes dropping to 4 degrees Celsius through the night with a maximum of 10 degrees Celsius on some days. See one of our volunteers is in a red zipped up jacket on a beautiful sunny day. It is lovely and sunny outside but don’t let the photos fool you, it was really very cold. She had thermals on. Even though the kids were cheerful you could see they were shivering with blue lips. It was really heart wrenching for the volunteers to know the children would have to go even another night feeling really cold in those cold concrete floor dormitories with no means of heating. The weather was freezing. We found one little boy who only had one shoe (see photo with Lee on his T Shirt) and he was happy to wear it. It was quite funny really and he didn't mind that we all had a good laugh. At least one foot was warmer. You’ll see in the photos that some of the other boys have very light clothing on. |
There was a little girl wrapped in a thin towel – she was shivering. The other girls spoke up for her as she was really shy and they advised that she had nothing other than what she was wearing. There was also a little girl in pink who was wearing everything she had.
Global Support Association Inc. prepared a tally with a list of names with help from the teachers, director and our interpreter. We urgently raised funds from Australia from very generous donors which allowed us to provide at least clothes in the first instance to relieve the emergency. Therefore, we urgently went to the market to supply only some of what they needed - mostly jackets, track pants, socks, and some blankets. The children were very grateful and happy. |
More Volunteers arrive from Australia end of December 2013 with suitcases full of clothes and more funds
Of the children we had given clothes and blankets to at Suan Luang facility there were also some as well as others who didn't have mattresses. There were also some children from the Luang Prabang Orphanage (another similar facility with 600+ children) that desperately needed blankets, mattresses and some clothes for the younger children in grades 1 - 3 particularly.
Global Support Association Inc. set up the mattress brigade with all volunteers (young and old) - to distribute the hundreds of mattresses to the needy children.
Of the children we had given clothes and blankets to at Suan Luang facility there were also some as well as others who didn't have mattresses. There were also some children from the Luang Prabang Orphanage (another similar facility with 600+ children) that desperately needed blankets, mattresses and some clothes for the younger children in grades 1 - 3 particularly.
Global Support Association Inc. set up the mattress brigade with all volunteers (young and old) - to distribute the hundreds of mattresses to the needy children.
Mattress Brigade,
Negotiate, Buy, Load and Transport Mattresses and Blankets to
Suan Luang Facility and also Luang Prabang Orphanage
Global Support Volunteers Distribute the Blankets and Mattress to the Children
What we have done has only scratched the surface of the problem. We ask all our visitors and volunteers to bring any extra they can in their luggage. We have a storage facility so that we can keep items for new arrivals and fit them out when they arrive. Every little bit helps.
Our volunteers in Australia had also collected over 200 kg of clothes and these have now arrived in Laos. These were a big help for the new school year in September 2014 and to replace worn clothing for the older ones. We will be needing more this year but gifts of money will be more practical at this stage as we expect we will only need to outfit the new intake this year. $15 will supply 2 sets of clothing for a child for a year. And it does get cold in Laos as well as scorching hot.
This is an ongoing project with new children arriving at the Facility every day with nothing but the clothes on their backs plus a new intake of children in September, 2015. Other children are growing and the clothes are wearing out as they are worn every day. Blankets and mattresses wear out every 2 - 3 years. This takes ongoing funding as well as donations of clothes, shoes, underwear etc.
Freight to Luang Prabang Laos is expensive at around $12 per kilo from Australia by freight - so this needs to be taken into consideration.
Our volunteers in Australia had also collected over 200 kg of clothes and these have now arrived in Laos. These were a big help for the new school year in September 2014 and to replace worn clothing for the older ones. We will be needing more this year but gifts of money will be more practical at this stage as we expect we will only need to outfit the new intake this year. $15 will supply 2 sets of clothing for a child for a year. And it does get cold in Laos as well as scorching hot.
This is an ongoing project with new children arriving at the Facility every day with nothing but the clothes on their backs plus a new intake of children in September, 2015. Other children are growing and the clothes are wearing out as they are worn every day. Blankets and mattresses wear out every 2 - 3 years. This takes ongoing funding as well as donations of clothes, shoes, underwear etc.
Freight to Luang Prabang Laos is expensive at around $12 per kilo from Australia by freight - so this needs to be taken into consideration.
Clothes Distribution
Grades 1 -3 Luang Prabang Orphanage Facility
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Clothes for the younger students. Most of the really young children are housed at the Luang Prabang Facility. We found we had some clothes donated from Canada that were not suitable for the Suan Luang Facility as they were too small and therefore we proceeded to distribute these to the Luang Prabang Children from grades 1 - 3.
These were also distributed by our volunteers in January, 2014. We really needed more but at least most children received at least one item including some pink slippers. |
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What is needed in the near future?
1. Mosquito Nets
Mosquito Nets are urgently required particularly for the new intake of over 100 children in September. We need to buy these in Laos at at cost of around $8.00 each for the better quality. We expect to need around 300 which includes the new in-take of children and also to replace worn out mosquito nets for the older children. Urgent funding is for $800.00 but prefer $2400 to complete the task.
2. Clothes, socks, jackets, peak caps and underwear for children and teenagers
There are a few ways to provide clothing:
3. If anyone is coming to Laos you could please offer to bring clothing with you. These can be left at the Library in Luang Prabang where they will be picked up and delivered to Suan Luang. Please email us on contactus and we will give you the details. Even 5 kgs each in your luggage is a big help.
Global Support Association Inc has a facility to collect clothes for distribution to the children of the Suan Luang school for Orphans and Disadvantaged children of Laos. The Members and volunteers will gladly sort through to find the clothes suitable for the Laos children at the facility and organize their transport depending on funding. While it can be very cold December - February, it can be extremely hot from April to July. Please keep in mind when donating clothes that the children are very modest, party clothes or dress up clothes are not really suitable as they do not have television or popular role models. Practical, easy to wash clothes (which the children have to wash by hand themselves - even the young ones) are the most suitable with thicker washable clothes for the winter.
We also collect clothes for adults and babies which we take by boat to isolated villages. Many of the adults ask if there is anything for them as they have very little also. All clothes at the Suan Luang facility that are worn by the children are from donations only. They have no money to purchase for themselves. Remember if sending clothes that the people are usually smaller in stature, particularly the women but strangely they have quite big feet.
Please call Brian on 0408 758 399 who is coordinating these collections or send an email through contactus. He will advise where items can be sent depending on where you live. but if you call Brian he will advise where this is or may arrange pick up depending on the quantity and where.
3. Knitted Socks
We are also collecting hand knitted bed socks for winter. It gets extremely cold at night. If you like to knit - the children would be very grateful as proper wool is not available in Laos and most socks purchased are very thin from China. They love colours so no need to worry about the colour combinations. If you can make the toes a bit bigger so that they can wear with thongs that would also be great as the floors are dirty. These are also to be given to Brian for collection and distribution as per the clothes.
4. Quarter Master Store
We are also looking for volunteers to help finalise the set up a system to make a small free store for the children to choose their own clothing at the facility. We have already done this very successfully as a trial in the Childrens Resources Centre with the 2014 intake and this could be a permanent place for distribution of exercise books, pens, pencils, soap powder, shampoo, soap, toothpaste and brushes etc which the senior children could run themselves. These personal items are constantly in demand - while supply comes in periodically. The volunteers will need to set up some sort of a system of a ration book or tickets for each child to ensure every child has a chance to choose what they like and also to get what they need on a fair basis. It is difficult when handing out clothes to actually choose who may like certain things. The brave children step forward and the shy children can be left behind. This store is just an idea but if we can come up with the right volunteer, the right and fair system, that is reasonably easy to operate we should be able to continue this store on an ongoing basis which would be topped up with each shipment. We could even get the bigger girls to sort the clothing and to help so that they also can learn some skills for their future.
- Through funding with items being purchased in the local market and
- By direct delivery from Australia of clothing donated new or second hand and transported to Luang Prabang.
3. If anyone is coming to Laos you could please offer to bring clothing with you. These can be left at the Library in Luang Prabang where they will be picked up and delivered to Suan Luang. Please email us on contactus and we will give you the details. Even 5 kgs each in your luggage is a big help.
Global Support Association Inc has a facility to collect clothes for distribution to the children of the Suan Luang school for Orphans and Disadvantaged children of Laos. The Members and volunteers will gladly sort through to find the clothes suitable for the Laos children at the facility and organize their transport depending on funding. While it can be very cold December - February, it can be extremely hot from April to July. Please keep in mind when donating clothes that the children are very modest, party clothes or dress up clothes are not really suitable as they do not have television or popular role models. Practical, easy to wash clothes (which the children have to wash by hand themselves - even the young ones) are the most suitable with thicker washable clothes for the winter.
We also collect clothes for adults and babies which we take by boat to isolated villages. Many of the adults ask if there is anything for them as they have very little also. All clothes at the Suan Luang facility that are worn by the children are from donations only. They have no money to purchase for themselves. Remember if sending clothes that the people are usually smaller in stature, particularly the women but strangely they have quite big feet.
Please call Brian on 0408 758 399 who is coordinating these collections or send an email through contactus. He will advise where items can be sent depending on where you live. but if you call Brian he will advise where this is or may arrange pick up depending on the quantity and where.
3. Knitted Socks
We are also collecting hand knitted bed socks for winter. It gets extremely cold at night. If you like to knit - the children would be very grateful as proper wool is not available in Laos and most socks purchased are very thin from China. They love colours so no need to worry about the colour combinations. If you can make the toes a bit bigger so that they can wear with thongs that would also be great as the floors are dirty. These are also to be given to Brian for collection and distribution as per the clothes.
4. Quarter Master Store
We are also looking for volunteers to help finalise the set up a system to make a small free store for the children to choose their own clothing at the facility. We have already done this very successfully as a trial in the Childrens Resources Centre with the 2014 intake and this could be a permanent place for distribution of exercise books, pens, pencils, soap powder, shampoo, soap, toothpaste and brushes etc which the senior children could run themselves. These personal items are constantly in demand - while supply comes in periodically. The volunteers will need to set up some sort of a system of a ration book or tickets for each child to ensure every child has a chance to choose what they like and also to get what they need on a fair basis. It is difficult when handing out clothes to actually choose who may like certain things. The brave children step forward and the shy children can be left behind. This store is just an idea but if we can come up with the right volunteer, the right and fair system, that is reasonably easy to operate we should be able to continue this store on an ongoing basis which would be topped up with each shipment. We could even get the bigger girls to sort the clothing and to help so that they also can learn some skills for their future.