Upon reaching the village I was immediately taken by the rudimentary lifestyle evidenced by bamboo homes, free roaming pets and livestock, and — quite frankly — the odor. I was quickly informed that this was actually one of the “better” villages, primarily because they were relatively close to the main road and equipped with electricity, a water tank, and a semblance of plumbing to the houses.
The Head Man was most hospitable, insisting that we join him and his wife and grandson in their home for a meal which he himself had prepared and served with pride. Although I did not recognize some of the many dishes he presented, I’m pretty sure a couple of them were pork (a favorite in these villages) along with an assortment of vegetables.
During the mealtime conversation (thanks to translation help from a Lahu speaking friend) he assured me that he was in full support of some village children moving to a facility where they could receive a good education. He emphasized that was especially needed where family support for the child was minimal — or in some sad cases — nonexistent. He was also quite critical of the nearest government school citing lazy, incompetent teachers resulting in virtually no education for his village kids.
The hospitality with this proud grandpa continued with a walking tour of the village where we also got to “meet” a few of the villagers and attempt to say “hello.” Most of the houses are built up high on posts. If you look carefully you can see the villagers’ farming fields on the distant hillsides where they grow mountain rice, corn, pumpkins, beans, and other staples of life.
This a good example of why we focus our efforts on educating girls.
It was interesting to see the actual conditions from which the Peace Children’s Home is attracting kids. I’m told by Tutu that there approximately 225 kids in the 18 villages in this region, most of which are receiving no education at all. Now … THAT’s … an education for me!
