Other Organizations Making a Difference in Laos

Laos, the home of JungleVine® and Nature Bag products, is a tiny and stunningly beautiful country in Southeast Asia. We would like to take this opportunity to promote other organizations that are working hard and making a difference in our dear homeland.

Legacies of War  --  During the Vietnam War, more than two million tons of unexploded ordnance were dropped on Laos. An estimated 30 percent of the ordnance did not explode on impact, leaving much of the countryside contaminated by deadly tennis ball-sized bombs. The threat of deadly unexploded ordnance limits Lao people’s ability to cultivate enough land for food and to maintain secure livelihoods, exacerbating the nation’s extreme poverty. Legacies of War has raised awareness about UXO contamination in Laos and their work has led to a tenfold increase in funding for UXO clearance and victim assistance in Laos.

Mack Pholsina sells home decor and fashion items created in Laos using ecofriendly raw materials. He specializes in ebony wood bowls and decor, and designs ebony wood earrings to use every small scrap of the lovely wood. A percentage of all sales is given back to charities in Laos.

Article 22’s PEACEBOMB collection is jewelry handcrafted in Laos using bomb shrapnel found throughout the Lao countryside after incessant bombing raids from 1964 to 1973. Each piece helps clear unexploded ordnance and benefits the artisans who craft the pieces using wood and ash molds in remote villages.

COPE, founded in 1996, has helped thousands of people with mobility-related disabilities, including UXO survivors, to receive prosthetic and orthotic services free of charge, allowing them to regain mobility and dignity.

Her Works promotes economic growth and a better quality of life for Lao women artisans from many ethnic groups, including Hmong, Lue, Khmu, Katu, Yao, Akha, Karen, Lawa, and Naga. Her Works has retail shops in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Laos.

The former Women's Business School of Textile Arts released an outstanding 50-minute documentary about fiber artisans all over Laos.

Laos Buffalo Dairy is a sustainable, socially responsible farm and social enterprise. They are working to improve the prosperity, welfare, nutrition, and health of the local rural population, with a focus on buffalo farming and childhood nutrition.

This list is a work in progress. If you know of an organization that should be included, please email us at service@junglevine.org.