Run for Laos – Run for WATER
Written by: Sally McBride
42.2km, 21,000 ancient steps – this adventure is not for the faint of heart! On May 15th I will be partaking in The Great Wall of China Marathon to raise money for a water tank to be built for the remote village Sop Chem in North–Eastern Laos, partnered with Growth International Volunteer Excursions.
Let me Introduce Myself
My name is Sally, or Salii as the locals call me (which is Lao for Corn). I’ve volunteered with GIVE in Tanzania, Thailand, and interned as the Assistant Educational Coordinator in Laos. But let me start from the beginning…
I am 22 years old from Perth, Australia and I first stumbled upon GIVE through a friend’s Facebook page. I signed up immediately and volunteered on GIVE’s Tanzania trip with the add-on to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in the summer of 2014. Spending just under a month in Africa, I became inspired by the local kids we tutored and witnessed firsthand the impact of a past GIVE project – a fresh water tank – for the beach town of Cairo, Zanzibar. Within weeks of being home, I had already planned to embark on GIVE’s Thailand trip the following summer with two volunteers from my Tanzania trip.
It was here my Southeast Asian adventure began and flourished. I accepted an internship position with GIVE as the Assistant Educational Coordinator for the Laos groups. For three months, I worked to introduce volunteers to the history and culture of Laos whilst teaching English lessons and building a dormitory for the school in the small village of Muang Ngoi. I immediately fell in love with the Lao people and the exquisite scenery, which was unlike anywhere I had travelled before.
My Love For Laos
After GIVE’s Summer season concluded and the volunteers had gone home, I stayed in Muang Ngoi for two weeks with another GIVE guide, Mickey. Alongside local engineers, we worked from dawn till dusk to put the finishing touches on the student dormitory so it could be ready for the start of the school year. It’s a different experience being able to stay for months at a time in a developing country and witness the follow through of our projects.
Watching the progress of GIVE’s English program as more and more children came each day, and seeing how much the local children and volunteers learned from each other helped to put all of our hard work into perspective. To see attitudes among locals change and relationships develop as we completed the dormitory, despite language and cultural barriers; it truly is an indescribable experience and one that’s shaped who I am today and why I am taking on this challenge.
Sop Chem and the Water Tank
Sop Chem is much smaller and more remote than Muang Ngoi. The time we spent with volunteers in local homestays were some of the most eye opening experiences of everyone’s time in Laos. Our local guide, Touy, approached Mickey and I with a suggestion from the Sop Chem village chief to build new water tank as a future project, we jumped onboard right away to find out how we could make it happen.
Currently there are over 300 villagers living without access to fresh, clean, drinking water and no hope for government assistance in the foreseeable future. These issues are only compounded by a series of hydroelectric dams built by international corporations. One of which is just a few kilometers upstream of Soph Chem and was finished earlier this year. In just a few short months since its’ completion, the dam has already altered the flow patterns and ecosystems of the Nam Ou River, which runs adjacent to the village and is the primary means of survival for locals. The water has now been polluted so heavily that locals are unable to use the water for household use and human consumption.
Beyond that, their closest fresh water aquifer is located on a piece of land that was recently bought by the same international corporation, with plans to bomb sections of the land and utilise the limestone for building another dam. The solution lies in building a 21,000 L tank (using repurposed plastic bottles filled with sand as bricks, of course) and connecting it to the nearest aquifer by piping through 6km of dense jungle.
Creating access to safe and clean drinking water through this project will drastically improve the lives of Sop Chem villagers. Safe drinking water will decrease the prevalence of preventable diseases, leading to a longer and healthier life for the locals.
Why the Great Wall of China Marathon?
To put it simply, the challenge of running along The Great Wall of China and training to work towards that goal excites me. Since experiencing solo travelling and being a GIVE volunteer, I am now hooked on seeking out new adventures and ways to push myself to my absolute limits. GIVE showed me a new way of getting the most out of any experience abroad: being able to see all a country has to offer by traveling mindfully, off the beaten track and creating opportunities to give back to local communities who often, wholeheartedly, gave so much to me.
When asked this question I have to quote the famous Mountaineer George Mallory when he was asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, to which he replied,
‘Because it’s there. Everest is the highest mountain in the world and no man has reached it’s summit. It’s existence is a challenge. The answer is instinctive, a part, I suppose of a man’s desire to conquer the universe’.
I have always wanted to run a marathon and have always wanted to see the Great Wall of China so it seems only fitting (and a little bit crazy) to combine the two!
So How Can You Help?!
Our Fundraising Goal is $15,000 AUS (~$10,000 USD) and we have until race day (May 15, 2016) to get there. Every donation, big or small, will go along way to helping us achieve our goal! Please visit and share my website and crowd fund page and also ‘like’ my Facebook page. 100% of the proceeds will be managed by GIVE and allocated directly to the project. Furthermore, I will be visiting Laos after the marathon to oversee the beginning of the tank’s construction. Every donor will also get their name engraved on a plaque, which will be cemented into the side of the tank! So spread the word and donate and help make the Sop Chem Water Project become a reality!
Get Inspired!
I hope my story inspires you to take on your own personal challenges, relish in the opportunities to step out of your comfort zone and support projects that excite you and drive your own personal passion, whatever it may be. Whether it’s through participating in a GIVE trip, supporting Run for Laos with a donation, or starting your own project to implement abroad or at home, I want you to seek to create your own adventure and live for the moments you can’t put into words.
***UPDATE*** The fundraising goal was met, and the water tank in Sop Chem was completed in the summer of 2016! MANY THANKS to all of the donors, and to Sally for completing the Great Wall of China Marathon! You can see photos of the tank, and learn more about the current volunteer projects in Laos here.