- Photos by Amanda Leo, Aqil B. Hamzah, Ashley Jin, Gaelmaine Hoong, Hanisah Rashid, Jerome Wong, Nur Syafiqah Binte Rahsid and Zeen Tng
Sponsored by Olympus
Published 24th March 2020
(1 of 12) A glimpse behind the scenes of our volunteers filming a documentary.
(2 of 12) Thanks to the villagers’ kind hospitality, we tried our hand at sieving grains, ‘tried’ being an important keyword here.
(3 of 12) During our stay at Ban Houehing village, we collaborated with villagers to build a water filtration system to provide safe and clean drinking water.
(4 of 12) Hanisah Bte Rashid: “Their willingness to learn and commitment to pursuing an education truly touched me. I wondered, has the ease to access education in Singapore made me jaded and ungrateful to what has been offered to me?”
(5 of 12) We worked by the Mekong river to collect, wash and sieve out sand for the construction of the water filtration tank.
(6 of 12) Amanda Leo: “The kindness and warmth of the villagers are things that I will never forget. One of the first few days in the village, it was obvious that they were wary of us. Even when we greeted them, some of them would not respond. But as the trip progressed, they reached out in their own little ways.”
(7 of 12) All smiles as our volunteers put up a song and dance performance to thank the villagers for their hospitality and kindness!
(8 of 12) Gaelmaine Hoong: “We felt like we were supposed to be helping, but found ourselves being helped instead. Our leaders told us to think of it as an exchange. We were there to give them something and receive something meaningful in return which was a perspective I had never really considered.”
(9 of 12) Our Vice-Chairperson (WeeTrip), Grace, always boosted the team’s morale through her cheerful smiles!
(10 of 12) Benecia Voon: “I found myself immersed in a different culture and learning beyond what their culture offers. I learnt about hospitality and how we can possibly apply that as we receive the foreigners in Singapore.”
(11 of 12) Stephanie posing for the camera while in the midst of washing rocks for the water filtration tank!
(12 of 12) A huge thank you to Olympus for sponsoring us with cameras so that we can capture fond memories and give readers the opportunity to experience the beauty of Laos and its people through our eyes.
Last December, WeeTrip spent 14 days in Luang Prabang, Laos capturing the sights and sounds of this charming country and telling stories that matter.
We wanted to immortalise the best moments of the trip — this is where Olympus comes in.
Half of our trip was spent in the village Ban Houehing, where we lived alongside the hospitable and warm villagers. It was here that we formed strong bonds and learned a little more about a different way of life.
Thanks to Olympus, we were able to give readers the opportunity to experience the beauty of Laos and its people through our eyes. ∎
Wee Kim Wee School