Houy Tan
Background...
The village of Houy Tan is located approximately 17km from Luang Prabang city centre. To reach the community one has to cross the Mekong River and enter Chomphet District where only a long dirt road provides access. Indeed, the issue of seasonal accessibility evidences the remoteness of Houy Tan. Hilly and poor terrain makes the village very difficult to reach in the heavy rains of wet season. Thus our development work can only really occur during the relative ease of access allowed by the dry season.
The village of Houy Tan is located approximately 17km from Luang Prabang city centre. To reach the community one has to cross the Mekong River and enter Chomphet District where only a long dirt road provides access. Indeed, the issue of seasonal accessibility evidences the remoteness of Houy Tan. Hilly and poor terrain makes the village very difficult to reach in the heavy rains of wet season. Thus our development work can only really occur during the relative ease of access allowed by the dry season.
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The village is home to 61 families with a total population of just over 300. The school itself consists of 48 students and only 3 teachers. Without easy access to a river, the main source of employment for the villagers is farming. Indeed, the cultivating of crop, in particular rice but also vegetables, for which some produce is then taken to Luang Prabang to sell, is the major source of income in the community. Houy Tan is home to Lao ethnicities such as Lao Lum and Lao Pueng peoples.
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The Project:
To assist locals in the construction of individual sanitation units for each family within the community
To assist locals in the construction of individual sanitation units for each family within the community
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The project will consist of constructing sixty two sanitation facilities for each family in the community. This is our first move into development work in Houy Tan and this project is seen as a good opportunity to build a relationship with the community. The work itself will be hands on with the local community, digging and laying bricks, cutting timber, carrying sand, gravel and mixing concrete. Some of the materials, especially timber and sand, as well as labour, will form the contribution from the village towards the project.
The village primary school, the nearest high school is 15km away
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The meeting hall where volunteers will sleep
Having been in discussions with the village chief and relevant authorities for some time, the desire for our assistance in the community has been made evident. Due to the community being inaccessible for volunteers during most of the rainy season, we are pleased to finally be launching a project in Houy Tan.
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The facilities will provide improvements in hygiene within the community and will provide a good foundation to do further work in the community. We believe in the commitment and desire of the locals in Houy Tan, and thus see the community as a potential long-term development site.
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A plot where a sanitation unit will be built
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Work has been underway in Houy Tan since December 2014. As of February we have 12 units completed and locals are in the process of digging pits for subsequent units.
