Channapha Khamvongsa Replies

Channapha Khamvongsa, Legacies of War Executive Director

On the afternoon of Saturday, February 9, 2013, I sent an email to Legacies of War to inform them about my own small efforts to raise awareness for their organization. Below is the contents of the email which I sent and the response which followed.

Dear Legacies of War: 

I simply wanted to share with you my own efforts in helping to raise awareness for your organization. 

I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and volunteer with a Canadian charity called Adopt a Village in Laos, which through its various humanitarian projects improves and empowers the lives of the villagers of rural Laos. 

In the latter half of 2012, I created a little blog called The Laos Experience, which you can visit at http://thelaosexperience.blogspot.com/. This blog contains direct references to your organization or talks about the bombing legacy in some way. 

Yours sincerely,
Roland Drake

When I checked my INBOX the following morning, I was delighted to discover an email from the Executive Director of Legacies of War, Channapha Khamvongsa. The message had been delivered only a few hours after I had sent my message that Saturday afternoon.

Her reply reads as follows:

Dear Roland, 

Thank you so much for your note. I'm glad to learn about your work in Laos and support of Legacies of War. 

I look forward to connecting more in the future. Please include us in your future updates. I'm also cc'ing my colleagues so they can check out the blog. 

Best wishes,Channapha

Poor Remote Mountain Village

Shortly before sunset on Friday, December 21, 2012, I arrived with Steve Rutledge and Mike Yap, the founders of Adopt a Village in Laos, Art Quickenton, who was visiting Laos for the second time from the U.S., Neil Disney, who was visiting from Scotland, Boun, a Laotian man and translator, and Phany Joy, another translator, at this small village isolated deep in the rugged and beautiful mountainous countryside of northern Laos.


On the way to this village we passed through Phonsavanh, another remote mountain village where Adopt a Village in Laos distributed some 50 water filters in December 2011.

This particular village is very poor and will need a new water source, water filters, a new school, and solar panels for generating electricity to service a couple of lights.

Toronto Twilight Rotary Club Fundraiser 2013

Hosted by Toronto Twilight Rotary Club on Friday, February 22, 2013, I will be attending this fundraiser for Adopt a Village in Laos to build a school in the village of Na Lae, which is one of the villages I visited when I was in Laos in December 2012. Complete details about this event can be found by visiting the Toronto Twilight Rotary Club web site.

Water Filter 101

On December 22, 2012, a small group of us visited the village of Na Lae, where Steve Rutledge emphasized in the first chief's own home how simple and very important it is to use a water filter. The week before Adopt a Village in Laos distributed water filters to this village. 

The Lure of Laos in Xtra!

In November 2010, I first approached this magazine about doing a story on Adopt a Village in Laos. The initial reception was one of disinterest. Disappointed, I put this idea on the back burner and forgot about it.

In the summer of 2012, I was conversing with a friend about this Canadian charity for which I volunteer and the struggles I was experiencing in trying to raise awareness. I explained what had happened with Xtra! the first time. He suggested that I make another attempt, but to get in touch with a very specific person at Pink Triangle Press, Xtra's umbrella organization, to set the ball in motion. A day later I fired off an email and within hours received a resoundingly positive reply.

Not long after that email Serafin LaRiviere, a freelance writer for this magazine, got in touch with me, whereupon I directed him to talk with Steve Rutledge, the founder of the organization, for the full story. Serafin LaRiviere interviewed both of us over the phone.

On December 3, 2012, while I was (ironically enough) on my way to Southeast Asia, a story called The lure of Laos finally appeared in Xtra! I learned of the story's existence upon receiving an email from someone who had read the article and who lives in Laos for part of the year. I immediately shared this fantastic news with Steve Rutledge, close friends, and my Facebook friends.

Meeting Phongsavath Souliyalath

Phongsavath Souliyalath and Roland Drake at COPE Visitor Centre

On December 11, 2012, I posted this message to Facebook. I have reproduced it here for you to read and have included the photo which accompanied this message.

After being blinded and having his hands blown off by a cluster bomb, Phongsavath Souliyalath became an advocate for survivors of unexploded bombs and helped to draw the world's attention to the dark and deadly legacy which haunts Laos by the millions (referring to unexploded bombs).

When I visited the COPE Centre in Vientiane, Laos this afternoon, Phongsavath Souliyalath, whom I had only seen in a photo with Hilary Clinton earlier this year, was sitting behind a desk poised over a laptop. I introduced myself and then had the pleasure of conversing with him. During our brief exchange, I related the work of Adopt a Village in Laos and my volunteer work with this Canadian charity.

Before we parted company, I respectfully asked him if it was possible to have a photo taken with him. He was most accommodating.

Proud FM Radio Interview 2012

On the morning of Thursday, August 30, 2012, my interview with Richard Ryder aired on this Toronto-based radio station.