July 09, 2008

a passionate cause in Laos

Leilani Chan writes:

Dear Friends,

As you many of you know Ova and I have been working passionately with Legacies of War to raise awareness about the UXO's (unexploded cluster bombs) in Laos and advocate for their removal. We are excited to be joining Legacies in August on a learning trip that will take us to view the areas still affected by UXO's where 1 in 6 are amputees as a result of touching or being near an accidentally detonated cluster bomb.

I am writing to ask for your support of an exciting campaign that Legacies of War has undertaken. The Schools Not Bombs Campaign aims to build preschools for children in impoverished Laotian villages which have been affected by unexploded cluster bombs. Our goal is to raise enough funds to cover the cost of building a preschool in one of the affected areas before we arrive in Laos.

To make a donation in support of Ova and I please go to https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=17379 and select "Legacies Preschool in Laos" when making your donation. We would like to make a total donation to Schools Not Bombs of $1000. Please help us make this goal by donating today. For more information please read more below. Thank you all so much for our continued support of our work.

Me ke aloha,
Leilani & Ova

***A new generation of Laotians continues to suffer from the enduring legacies of cluster bombs leftover from three decades ago, when Laos became the most bombed country in the world. Preschools will replace bombs on land that have been cleared, providing a safe environment for children and educational opportunities to overcome the barriers of poverty. Through this campaign, we seek to transform a tragic past into a hopeful future for the people of Laos.

For more information about Schools Not Bombs Campaign, visit http://www.legaciesofwar.org/news-room/news-releases/333.

We are working with Give Children a Choice(www.givechildrenachoice.org), a nonprofit organization that has built 18 preschools in Luang Prabang, Laos to help us identify the village for our first school. Our inaugural school will be in Xieng Khoang Province, one of the most heavily bombed areas and the origins of the historic illustrations featured in the Legacies of War National Traveling Exhibition www.legaciesofwar.org.

The school will be in Lathsene Village, home to 500 people and 80 families, with preschoolers who are descendents of bombing survivors.We have already raised $12,500 of the $17,000 needed to build a preschool in time for the new school year this fall. Please help us to meet our fundraising goal of $4,500 in the next month to build the school. Nearly 100 people have given – from $1 to $7,500. Every dollar raised is one step closer to helping Laotian children have a safe environment to learn and grow. Send a check or Donate on-lineEvery dollar raised goes towards the school. Your name will be listedas a generous donor on our website and in the school.--

Leilani Chan
Artistic Director
TeAda Productions
www.teada.org

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