PHOUMIENG
Updated: Aug 25, 2023
The village
Phoumieng (Fah-mee-ang) village is remotely located in the hills 36 km by road west of Luang Prabang, Laos and is home to approximately 400 Hmong people living in about 40+ houses. See village location here.
Villagers support themselves with subsistence level farming. Surplus rice, cardamom seeds, dried mushrooms, and animals are sold to itinerant middlemen to generate income. Rosewood and similar trees are occasionally sold, but their supply has been much depleted. Recent droughts have affected rice production, and a serious fungal blight – affecting much of SE Asia – reduced the 2020 harvest in Phoumieng by up to 70%. Read more
Data on village income sources
Our project coordinator, Bounchan Her, was born in the village and is married to wife, Noi; they have 4 children. Prior to the pandemic Bounchan & Noi were working at the Mekong Riverview Hotel in Luang Prabang and living with relatives in town during the week. Read more
What's unique about our project management.
For additional information contact Paul Kenton: paul.kenton1@gmail.com
(Paul is located in Montreal, Canada)
Completed projects
Solar generators. Forty 120 watt solar panels with batteries and inverters to convert to AC were installed May, 2018 to January, 2019 Read more
Mobile Learning Lab (MLL). An MLL including including 13 tablets was donated to the Laos Buffalo Dairy. September, 2019 Read more
Improved cookstoves. Thirty eight improved cookstoves were supplied to reduce smoke and particulates in village houses. March, 2020 Read more
Warm blankets. During an extended cold spell 40 heavy blankets were sent to the village. February, 2019 Read more
Computer training. Village project coordinator, Bounchan Her, was sponsored in a computer repair course. April - May, 2019 Read more
2.3 km water pipeline to ensure reliable water availability during the dry season. Project completed April 20th, 2021. Read more
In progress
A toilet for each family to improve sanitary conditions. Proof of concept started July 5th, 2021. Read more
Future projects
The village is currently struggling with the effects of a serious fungal blight in the rice fields that reduced crops harvested in November, 2020 by about 70%. This followed a few years of widespread droughts in South East Asia. We are currently raising funds for the following projects:
Advanced computer course for Bounchan for potential move into the burgeoning local IT market. Scheduled the next time the course is offered.
Some sort of academic support including a greater emphasis on schooling for girls.
Improved agricultural practices
Cathy Fischer took the two videos below during her visit to Phoumieng in mid-November, 2019.
1. Waking up in the village is the first video: See more of the Fischer family visit.
2. Video pan of upper village GPS coordinates: 19 deg 53’ 04” N , 101 deg 52’ 11” E . (Google Earth images date from 2016, newer structures will not be evident.)
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