COPEing With Disability In Laos

EToday was an emotional one for me. Last night we were taking photos of an NGO vehicle parked outside our guesthouse which contained a UXO (unexploded ordnance) when another traveller handed us a flyer. The flyer was for COPE, an organisation which runs a rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities in Laos. While I was very much aware of Laos' hangover from the Vietnam war, the impact suddenly became real and very clear to me while we were at the COPE visitor's centre. I was in tears at one point, although I think I got away without anyone seeing me. The photos, stories and exhibits were moving, graphic and uplifting all at once. I had already fallen in love with the Lao people, who are so happy and smiley despite their meagre lot in life, so to see such horrible injuries and hear such dreadful stories of injury and pain pushed me over the emotional edge. COPE assists not only people with disabilities caused by UXOs, but also those with birth defects, polio, leperosy, and increasingly, injuries from vehicle accidents.

Never before have I seen a country so poor as Laos, but with such resilient and pleasant people. I have also never before seen so many NGOs operating all in one place, everyone from Japanese Government-funded hospitals to UNICEF, the World Food Program and AusAID. More than once I have bathed from and AusAID water pump. Although finding a job and returning to reality is not an entirely pleasant thought with which to fill my days, I am looking forward to directing some of my hard-earned money to organisations like Big Brother Mouse or COPE in Laos.

You can find out more about these organisations by checking out www.copelaos.org or www.maginternational.org. Big Brother Mouse is another excellent organisation run entirely by Lao people, for Lao people - www.bigbrothermouse.com

Other than crying during the day, we have been enjoying excellent restaurants and a little bit of shopping. For those who remember Ross Faichney from Isa, I will be having dinner tomrrow night with him and will pass on any shooshes to him. We are also very excited about going to one of Vientiane's newest attraction, the water park. I can't wait to behave like a little kid again!