Khmu Mythology & the BioSand Filter

Had a very interesting day out in Ban Tangnuey today. I went out with some of my colleagues from the Science Technology & Environment Agency, a friend and volunteer from the German Devlopment Service (DED), Joachim Kobold, and a friend from Luang Phabang, Joanne (can't remember her last name just now). Our visit had three objectives:

1. The villagers have built an additional 10 biosand water filters and I wanted to check on them to see that they had been built and were functioning properly. From what I could tell the villagers had done a fairly good job. All ten filters were finished and installed in homes through out the village. There were some problems however. For quite a few the water flow rate was far too high. It should flow through the filter at 1 litre per minute. At this rate you know the water is moving through the sand and gravel slow enough for the bacteria, viruses and parasites to be removed. any faster than this and the filter is not safe. I suspect the villagers were not putting in the proper amounts of sand to gravel for the different layers, so it looks like I will have to return and do some additional training. no big deal. There were a few filters that were working perfectly so the villagers weren't feeling too discouraged.

2. Joachim, who works as a tourism advisor for the Provincial Tourism Authority, came out to the village with me as he is interested in paying Ban Tangnuey to build some BSFs for the villages where he currently has some project activities around eco-toursim and homestays. There is no firm commitment yet but he is discussing the possibility of having the villagers build and install up to 12 additional filters. This could be a good source of income for the villagers and would possibly pay for the additional 15 filters they have planned for their own village. This project is really beginning to take on a life of its own.

3. My friend Jo, a brilliant english women who has been living in Luang phabang for the last six years, is the co -owner of two stores, Orkpoptok--or East meets west--that feature traditional ethnic textiles from around the north of Lao. I have been telling her for awhile about the amazing traditional textiles the villagers in Ban Tangneuy make using wood fibres. so she finally gave in and came out for a visit. I think she really like the bags but was not ready to commit to any kind of business relationship. There are some logistical and quality control issues, as well as dying problems with the bags right now, so we'll have to wait and see.

One very interesting aspect of the visit is what Jo was able to learn from the village chief. She managed to get him to tell us the Khmu creation myth. According to the village chief there are three types of Khmu people: the Khmu roc (that's how the village chief said it), the Kmu Leu, and the Khmu Ou. Ban Tangnuey is Khmu Ou. From what I understood the creation myth went something like this: Once there was many people in the world all watched over by a father god and a mother god. At one point, for one reason or another, the father god and mother god became very angry with the people and destroyed them all. After this, they discovered that a cow had eaten something (what it might have been was not made clear to me) and had become pregnant with a god child, who inturn was filled with many new people. Seeing this the mother god and father god decided they needed to help the cow out by taking a red hot poker and poking the cow with three holes so that the god child and its many people could get out. The first out of the cow were the Khmu Roc. As a result of being first they had the darkest skin. don't ask me why but they were first and have darker skin. Next came the Khmu Leu with a middle tan coloured skin, and then the Khmu Ou who have the lightest skin. and that's it. There's probably more to it but that's all I was able to get this time. Will try and learn more the next time I head out there.

I have to say that it is days like this that really make development all worthwhile. Can't wait to head back out again.