It has now been a month and a week since our community water kiosk in Huanambak became operational. The residents are gradually adapting to this vital infrastructure, which ensures them a sustainable supply of quality drinking water. Their curiosity about the filtration system is evident, and they eagerly engage with our two dedicated women staff members who ensure the kiosk’s daily operations run smoothly. 💪🙋🏻‍♀️

We will soon be organising meetings in Huanambak, bringing together the villagers, kiosk staff, our local team, and local authorities. 👉 These meetings aim to once again explain TdS’s social mission, which focuses on providing sustainable access to clean drinking water to improve living conditions and reduce waterborne diseases. We will also highlight the importance of handwashing and basic hygiene practices, which will be reinforced through our collaboration with the local clinic 🏥, a trusted entity among the villagers. This partnership further validates our efforts in promoting hygiene and public health. 🤝💧🧼

In Ban Nahom, the integration of clean drinking water into daily life is now a reality, ensuring the complete self-financing of this initial water kiosk. 🚰

We would like to express our warm thanks to the 1% Fund for Development for its financial support for our second community water kiosk in Huanambak, Xay district, Oudomxay province.

We are deeply touched by the remarkable work and dedication of the 1% Fund’s team of international professionals working on a voluntary basis.
The story of the 1% Fund is a remarkable illustration of the impact that each individual can have in the fight against extreme poverty and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as emphasised by Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Thanks to their exemplary commitment, members demonstrate the power of collective action by donating 1% of their salaries and actively participating in the project selection process (https://www.onepercentfund.net/fr/29293-2/).

Their generous contributions enable us to realise our vision and pursue our mission with enthusiasm. We would like to thank them all for their invaluable support.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Sometimes words fail to express our gratitude. Today, I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to Peter and Marlène Schmid from Cartigny, Geneva, Switzerland.

TdS’s turn towards our current concept of social entrepreneurship was greatly supported by Peter, who was the first person I turned to in 2020 once our concept had been developed. He and his wife Marlène had already funded several wells when we were still under the philanthropic model, so they were already familiar with our association and our mission.

At the end of our presentation in 2020, he saw the long-term potential of this community water kiosk project in Laos and without hesitation, together with his wife, supported us financially to build the very first community water kiosk in Ban Nahom, Beng district, Oudomxay Province. I will always be grateful to them for believing in us and in this new model, which has now been validated.

After the launch of our first community water kiosk in March 2022 in Ban Nahom, preceded by complex issues including the Covid pandemic, the floods that hit Laos and the province of Oudomxay in August 2022, and the economic crisis we are still facing today, I contacted them to tell them about the financial situation of our association undeniably affected by the current context and all the difficulties encountered.

Fully aware of the economic and financial challenges of a social entrepreneurship project, and the importance of the capital needed to achieve our self-financing objectives in the field and for the association, they readily reiterated their support. Today, we can continue our activities and make our second water kiosk a reality in the village of Hunambak, Xay district, Oudomxay Province, with an official launch imminent.

It is with great emotion that I thank them for their confidence in us and our project! This gesture means so much because there is nothing more gratifying and comforting than receiving financial support from qualified and informed people who know our association, our budgets, our funds and how we operate, and who have confidence in our mission.

Once again, thank you Peter and Marlène Schmid !

We are facing unprecedented challenges: After COVID, the economic crisis (inflation of over 43%, devaluation of the KIP), and now the devastating impact of climate change. 💔

Our first water kiosk in Laos was self-sufficient in 7 months, serving 85% of the population (over 4,200 people). Today, due to heavy rainfall, more than 40% of families can’t access drinking water, and our team can’t reach isolated villages on treacherous roads. 😢🌧️🛤️

We are witnessing incredible solidarity, but it’s not enough. The villagers use tractors to fetch water, but the isolation is getting worse, depriving them of essentials like drinking water. 💧🤝 

⚠️Why do we need you ? 
👉To cover the extra cost of petrol to ensure delivery services.
👉To buy gravel and employ villagers to repair paths and fill in holes. 
👉To cover the additional costs of the Nahom kiosk, which income can no longer cover due to climate issues, inflation in the price of raw materials and the devaluation of the local currency (KIP), which is totally beyond our control. 

🙏Scan the QR code for any financial support you can provide 🙏 Or use our bank details on our QR Code for all donations.

⚠️ Our second water kiosk in Huanambak is nearing completion, to achieve this we really need you 🙏🙏🙏

The wait has been lengthy, the stakes high, but at last, 🎉 we are thrilled to announce the commencement of construction for our second Community Water Kiosk 💧 located in Huanambak, Xay District, Oudomxay Province 🇱🇦

A heartfelt thank you goes out to our invaluable donors, without whom this project wouldn’t be possible. We extend our gratitude to the whole TdS Team (Swiss and Lao), our precious advisor Alexandre Cantacuzène and local companies for their dedicated works 🙏 🌟

On March 19th of 2022, Terre des Sourires officially opened the very first community water kiosk in the Ban Nahom region, located in the Beng district of the Oudomxay province. Just 6 months later, this kiosk has already accomplished one of the fundamental objectives of our social entrepreneurship model – achieving self-sustainability! 

Thanks to our dedicated local team, this project is now financially independent, and covers the entirety of the costs associated with the water kiosk (excluding the overall operating expenses of our team based in Oudomxay and Switzerland). This success is clear evidence that the concept of social entrepreneurship can indeed be a resounding success. But the good news doesn’t end there. This April of 2023, we have reached a major milestone by selling over 5,000 jerrycans in only one month! Just imagine the smiles on the faces of the 5,036 residents in the 13 surrounding villages that now have access to TdS’s kiosk. 

To put this into perspective, over 83% of the local population only drinks water from the Terre des Sourires community water kiosk. People have swiftly and smoothly adopted new habits, regularly consuming pure and filtered water that meets the standards of the World Health Organization. This is a tremendous success for us! The happiness of the villagers is tangible. They’ve shared with us the remarkable improvements in their daily lives; a direct outcome of the tireless efforts of our local team and the services provided by our kiosk. We are thus delighted to present you with a sales chart that shows the steady progress: 

We will continue to uplift the lives of those who have long been neglected due to their geographical isolation and low income, and who previously had limited means to develop. We will persist in our efforts with love and passion, creating positive changes in the lives of rural Laotian communities and empowering them to harness their potential.

Today, more than ever, your support and financial assistance are crucial to achieving our goal of becoming self-financed and ensuring the long-term success of our projects. As mentioned previously, we have already reached a significant milestone in our project: the self-financing of the first water kiosk, covering all the expenses of the infrastructure and providing stable employment for the villagers fully managing its operation. Our economic model demonstrates that we can achieve our goals, and by the end of 2028, Terre des Sourires could no longer be economically dependent on public or private funds, thanks to the invaluable support of our donors and potential financiers. Your unwavering support is essential to our success. We thank you for following and supporting us in this journey of providing access to safe drinking water for all !

Drum roll, please 🥁 Terre des Sourires is pleased to announce the arrival of a new member in its team 🥳 Stephanie Garde! 

As Senior Fundraising and Project Officer from the Syni program ! Stephanie brings over 10 years of experience managing multi-million dollar child protection projects around the world, as well as two Masters degrees in Business & Human Rights and Management of Humanitarian Projects and NGOs Development 💪

With her killer skillset, we’re confident Stephanie will help us make an even greater impact in Laos and beyond. 

Welcome aboard Stephanie 🚀 We’re thrilled to have you on the team and can’t wait to see what we can achieve together !!!

Since December 1st 2020, Ly Chongheuly has been hired as Project Manager and Director of TdS Laos. His enthusiasm, curiosity and initiative have enabled him to acquire great skills in the field of social entrepreneurship and drinking water supply.

For more than two years, we worked remotely under particularly difficult conditions. Despite the many difficulties, sleepless nights and stressful moments, we managed to create “TdS Community Drinking Water Company, sole, ltd.”, ensuring that TdS Switzerland would be able to meet the objectives of our social entrepreneurship concept presented to our precious donors. Without him, we would not have succeeded.

Beyond his professionalism, Ly is a trustworthy person who works with his heart and out of love for his people. I would like to thank him warmly for this precious collaboration which is the key to our success!

Team dynamics and cohesion are essential to achieve the goals we have set. Thanks to our communication, our common goals, but also our differences, our Association can now say that it has the main foundations for a successful team! It should be remembered that Ly currently has 5 employees under his responsibility. An important management task which he carries out with brio.

Below, a photo in front of the Oudomxay office with Longmoua, who also plays a key role in our projects. Thank you to the entire TdS Laos team 🙏