Picture of the Week – 9.2.15 – The Corridor of Opportunity
By Tessa Bunney on 9 February 2015With the wonders of technology I am able to write this post in advance and schedule it for posting several days later so by the time this is live I will already be in a remote village high in the mountains of Phongsaly province.
The last time I visited the remote Akha Nuquie village of Ban Chakhampa it was an hour bus ride from Phongsaly, an hour boat trip along the Nam Ou river and several hours steep hike from the river to the village. Now though, the village has a road courtesy of the Nam Ou Hydropower project so I am visiting this village and using the new road as a launching point to visit even remoter roadless villages on foot.
Young girls first task of the day is to collect water using a gourd scoop and carry it back to the village in traditional bamboo water carriers. Although there is a small basic school in Ban Chakhampa, it is still rare for girls in such remote villages to go to school because they are required to help their families with jobs at home.
I wonder how much has changed.
I am away from 7th to 16th February.