by UNV Lao PDR

05 November 2004

Vientiane, Lao PDR: On 29 September 2004, Laos UN Volunteers participated in the Pak Ou Boat Racing Festival, one of the most popular annual events in the Pak Ou District. The aim of the event was to increase the spirit of teamwork between UNV and the district government, as well as promote volunteerism.

Pak Ou District in Lunag Prabang province is one of the target districts of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme’s project on supporting decentralized governance for poverty alleviation, or UNV GPAR. The project is being implemented in support of the Lao Government’s administration reform policy. Eight UN Volunteers are working closely with the district government to alleviate poverty through the promotion of volunteerism.

On the race day, the UN Volunteers and village participants wore blue and red uniforms with the UNV programme’s logo on the district government/UNV boat, which was led by Somali Khamkeng, head of the district office and supervisor of the UN Volunteers. Two UN Volunteers, Phouthone Phommaphavanh and Kingkeo Phonepaseuth from Pak Ou District represented UNV in the boat race. The other six UN Volunteers led the villagers in cheering on the district government/UNV team. The team won twice and received the eighth prize

The participation by the UN Volunteers provided an excellent opportunity for the thousands of villagers to familiarize themselves with the UNV programme, the work of the UN Volunteers in the district and volunteerism in general.

“I am very happy to see that the villagers enthusiastically volunteer to bring success to the festival with us,” says Sivilay Chanthamy from Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. Khamla Deuogdeth, the only female UN Volunteer in Pak Ou, adds, “The boat racing shows our traditional volunteering. Men set up the tents and row the boat while women cook or do whatever they can to support in order to achieve total success in the festival without asking any reward.”

Somali Khamkeng also shares a positive view of the participation of UNV in the race. “We have become more open and close to each other through the boat race. Moreover, the UN Volunteers participation was very meaningful in promoting volunteerism at the grass-roots level [and] to get sincere collaboration with the villagers.”