Sabaidee Jai Lao Family and Friends:
First of all, thank you very much your interest in the Jai Lao Foundation and for signing up on our website to receive updates as to Jai Lao's progress. It's only been less then three months since our formal and legalized incorporation of the foundation, and already the feedback has been overwhelmingly wonderful.
Jai Lao was very privileged to get an interview by Na Dara Bacaam from Voice of America News. We were very touched at the VOA studio to hear our own interview live, and emotional tears unexpectedly fell down our faces as we truly felt the Spirt of our parents warm our soul. They are our inspiration and our guidance. Both the giver as well as the receiver will have their hearts and lives touched through the charity work for people in Laos.
The Jai Lao Foundation is different from many established organizations helping Laotians to advance and promote their Laoness. Each organization is wonderful and brings different things to the table to help the Lao community at large. Jai Lao focuses on remembering our roots in Laos. Jai Lao strives to not forget how blessed we are and to remember those that aren't as fortunate as us.We hope that through our works and actions Jai Lao will forever have your support and trust. The benefits of giving is not only to the receiver, but we as the givers will feel the infinite reward and joy of helping those without opportunities.
As Jai Lao is still in it's infancy stage, we welcome your words of wisdom and encouragement freely and openly. We open our hearts to you so please take us into your hearts as well...
Get your copy today to mark down all of Jai Lao's 2010 activities, events, fundraisers, & missions. A limited number was made so be the first ones to get it before they sell out! Give the gift of food & help feed a village in need. Thank you for your support of the Jai Lao Foundation and thank you to Ari Simphoukham of Ari Photography for taking the time out of his busy schedule for this photoshoot!
These calendars are $20, of which all of our proceeds will go towards funds for two schools we have dedicated to help build in Laos. One is a preschool in Baan Paktapanh and the other a primary school for the village that was affected by Typhoon Ketsana.
Jai Lao Foundation for the Benefits of Lao People
By Dara Baccam 02/07/2009
Two Lao-American sisters spearheaded efforts to set up Jai Lao Foundation
to continue their parents' legacy of helping and giving to the poor people of Laos.
Soutkita La Reagan and sister Noelle or Soutsapha Singharath migrated to the United States with their parents and six siblings in 1980 when they were 7 and 10 years-old respectively. So they grew up Americanized like most Lao kids in this country, thinking and behaving like American kids, sometimes forgetting their Lao heritage, until 2004 when they went back to Laos for a Buddhist memorial service for their parents who had passed away.
That trip to Paksaphan Village, Saravan Province, was the second one for La,
but it completely changed her life. With a little bit of emotion in her voice,
she said, "The first time I went back, I saw what the conditions were like
over there,saw the poverty and the suffering of the Lao people. It so saddened
me that I did not want to go back there again. But when I went back the second
time with my siblings and my own family, to hold a memorial service for our parents,
we saw the overwhelming generosity of the villagers. They came pouring in with whatever little offerings they had, a small bag of rice, some money - one or
two dollars - to give us as tokens of their participation. We were so impressed!"
It was then that La and her siblings learn about the generosity of their own parents,
Kheuangkham and Kaysone Singharath. Noelle said her parents went back to Laos every
single year after they sold their restaurant and retired, and every time they would
help the villagers by doing something beneficial to them such as digging a big pond
to raise fish so that the villagers would have a pond to fish for food, or help
renovate the local temple among other things. Noelle added that the villagers all
had kind words about their parents' generosity and good deeds, and it is this
legacy of theirs that she and La would like to continue.
"I'm so inspired that I felt I needed to do what my parents did and walk in
their steps and help the poor, because if you just kept feeling sorry for
the poor but not do anything about it, it doesn't do you any good. At least
when you go over there, you realize that the little thing that you do, it
helps a life or two or the whole village. And in that sense, it changes
your life. If we just focus on one village at a time, it can be a better
society, maybe not now but 30-40 years from now, and that's what Jai
Lao is all about," said La or Soutkita Reagan.
"Why the name Jai Lao(Lao Heart)? I was thinking about what we should call this foundation that's gonna symbolize who we are and what we are - Laotians. Then it just popped up in my head, Jai - we want to give from the heart, and Laotians have incredible hearts, incredibly kind and giving hearts. And that's how the name came into play. I know and believe in my heart of hearts that all Laotians have the most giving heart, even though they are so poor in Laos."
Jai Lao Foundation was officially incorporated in April and is now waiting for its 501(c) (3) status. This past weekend, La, Noelle, and a few friends came all the way from California, at their own expenses, to Washington DC's Wat Lao Buddhavong to set up a food stall selling sticky rice and papaya salad during the July 4th celebrations to raise money for Jai Lao.
They hope to raise more funds when they formally launch their humanitarian organization in August under the theme "One Night in Laos" in the backyard of La's home in Merced, California, complete with Lao food stalls, arts and crafts, classical dance performances and a Lao band because, said La, one of Jai Lao's objectives is to promote and preserve Lao culture and traditions.
The Singharath sisters' projects under Jai Lao include a small pre-school complete
with bathrooms first, and later a small high school for Paksaphan Village.
La said education there
stops after eighth grade because the nearest high school is two hours away.
Jai Lao's past projects included, among other things, installation of a playground in a primary school in Paksaphan Village, construction of a water pump system for two schools and a two-room bathroom for a secondary school, distribution of educational materials to two schools as well as clothing and personal hygiene items to poor students and people. Funding for the first few projects came out of La's own pockets, except for funding for the two-room bathroom project that her son and daughter helped raise when they celebrated their 12th and 9th birthdays respectively.
For more details in Lao listen to our audio file.
VOICE OF AMERIA NEWS INTERVIEW - Listen to (MP3)
