About Us

Mission

“Sustaining Communities aims to deliver sustainable technologies to schools and communities in the developing world that allow them to become self-sufficient with their Water, Energy and Sanitation requirements while simultaneously educating the local population and foreign visitors about the concept of sustainability.”

“Sustaining Communities” is a non-profit organization in its infancy and eventually hopes to expand to a number of less developed countries around the world. The aims of the organization are to provide sustainable technologies for communities in the developing world to assist them in 3 core areas:

Water
Energy
Sanitation

Project Laos

The first school to partake in this project is the Vang Vieng Primary School in Vang Vieng, Laos PDR. This involves making the Vang Vieng Primary School a completely self-sufficient unit that does not require any outside source to cater for its Water, Energy and Sanitation needs. This will be achieved over various phases that ensure the appropriate technologies are introduced to reach this goal. Prior to the introduction of these technologies Sustaining Communities will help to address the immediate needs of the school by providing equipment, training and funding that will ensure an adequate education for the pupils of Vang Vieng.

History

“Sustaining Communities” began as a fund-raising initiative at Ziptrek Ecotours for a sustainability project called “Project Laos”. Ziptrek Ecotours, based in Queenstown; New Zealand and Whistler; Canada, is an award winning eco-tour company that brings guests on canopy tours through the forest on ziplines or “fly-foxes”. During the tour, guests are educated about the concept of sustainability and how they can make sustainable decisions using the 4 conditions of “The Natural Step” framework.

The project aimed to demonstrate how this model could be applied to a non-profit organization for social and environmental concern. Ziptrek’s operation in Queenstown, New Zealand is based in an invasive forest of Douglas Fir Pine trees from North America. This forest spreads rapidly throughout the country and is displacing the native species of trees. Fund-raising was therefore gathered through the sale of native New Zealand tree saplings to guests on Ziptrek Ecotours for $10 each. The saplings were then planted for guests in the local area.

To check them out go to www.ziptrek.com

From that $10; 30% went towards improving the biophysical integrity of the local ecology while the remaining 70% went towards attaining social and educational empowerment in the developing world. This is to be achieved through the implementation of sustainable technologies relevant to the Water, Energy and Sanitation requirements of the school. This project has now become the non-profit organization “Sustaining Communities” which hopes to continue on the initiative after the project in Laos in completed.

Project Laos – PHASE 1

The school now has its first computer thanks to the support of many people who have devoted their time, money and effort to help with this project. A special thank you is needed for all the Management, Guest services and Guides of Ziptrek Ecotours in Queenstown, New Zealand who have helped to raise funds through the sale of native trees to guests on their zipline tours.

In order to purchase the computer and printer NZ$1,000 dollars was withdrawn from the Tree Fund. The computer and printer cost approximately NZ$750 and the remainder went towards the costs of ink, paper and lessons. We will continue to maintain this cost. When we next return with the Electricity Generating Playground with accompanying solar panels, the school will hopefully be able to provide for its own energy needs.

We hope to purchase this system from Empower Playgrounds, another non-profit who have pioneered the concept in rural Ghana. The playground will cost approximately US$10,000 to purchase along with the additional costs of shipping and installation.

For more info click on this link: empowerplaygrounds.org

This is to be the second in a long line of useful sustainable equipment including – Wind-Up Laptops, Rainwater Harvesting systems, UV sterilization systems, Composting Toilets and any other sustainable innovations that we feel will benefit the school. These technologies are considered the “Hardware” of the project, however in order for these technologies to continue to benefit the school, an appropriate community-orientated “Software” system of maintenance will also have to be introduced to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

(If you have any suggestions or input in this regard it will be greatly welcomed and appreciated). Please email me at david@sustainingcommunities.org

The aim is to make the Vang Vieng Primary School a fully self-sufficient unit that can cater for its own functional needs so that it can concentrate on giving their students the most relevant education. There are also plans in the pipeline to introduce established summer camp programmes to educate children on ecological matters while at the same time allowing them a chance to enjoy outdoor sports and activities that will enhance their appreciation for the natural environment.

– PHASE 2

In May 2012, Sustaining Communities returned to the Vang Vieng Primary School to begin the first stage of our Energy Phase.

During this meeting we discussed a number of items:

Providing a photovoltaic solar system to reduce the energy costs of the school.
Providing the school with a full time English Teacher.
Providing a sustainability curriculum for the school.
Providing funds for the further education of the schools teachers.
Providing funds for the further education of the schools students.
Providing a budget for equipment and supplies.
The new computer and any associated costs or problems that have arisen.
Concerns relating to the structure of the building.
Possible projects to consider in the future.

During our previous visit we provided the school with an Acer Desktop computer and printer as well as providing funds for its upkeep. We intended to provide energy independence to the school with by installing a Photovoltaic Solar System to power the computer and at a later date, combine this with the EGP System to fully power the whole building. We had arranged for this solar system to be installed by local provider Sunlabob and we hope to be working with them again in the near future. They are a Laos based company that have been leading the way in the Lao solar revolution.

However Sustaining Communities recognizes that we are a new organization with much to learn and therefore make a commitment to listen to the needs and concerns of the schools and communities in which we serve. After liaising with the school and listening to their immediate concerns regarding the lack of teaching resources and equipment it was decided to postpone the Energy Phase of the project until we address these needs. While the idea of an energy independent school was welcomed by the school, it was pointed out that the electricity costs for the school are minor (US$6 per month approx).

It was therefore decided to allocate the money raised for the solar panels into a budget for the school instead. The budget was divided into 5 core areas:

Provision of a full time English Teacher.
Provision of funds for the further education of the schools teachers.
Provision of funds for the further education of the schools students.
Provision of a budget for equipment and supplies.
Provision of a budget for the computer and its associated costs.

During our second meeting on May 25^th, 2012, we discussed how we would implement and administer our financial and technological resources to the school. A brief summary of these results are as follows:

A donation of 1,050,000 Kip has been made available for prizes of stationary for 15 students and 14 teachers from Grades 1-4 who excelled during the school year.
Sustaining Communities has agreed to pay the salary of 800,000 Kip per month for a full-time English Teacher who can also act as a secretary and administrator within the school. (This will total 7,200,000 Kip over the 9 month school year.)
A fund of 6 Million Kip will be made available for the further education of 3 teachers for 2 months over the summer break under the condition that these teachers are accepted into the programme. *(In the event that one or more of these teachers are not accepted into the government programme then the excess funds from this account are to be reinvested into independent computer training for the remaining staff at the school).
Sustaining Communities will make available a fund of 2 Million Kip from which the school can withdraw the necessary funds to maintain the cost of the computer. These costs include paper, ink, electricity and lessons.
An additional equipment fund of 1 Million Kip can be used to purchase additional educational and recreational resources for the students and teachers should the need arise.
A separate fund of 2 Million Kip will be set-aside for students for whom the school believe will benefit from further education in computer skills.

Sustaining Communities plans to collaborate with other organizations in the future that may be of benefit to the school in terms of sustainability education and also the repair and maintenance of the school building itself.

The decision to provide the school with a photovoltaic solar system, electricity generating playground, rainwater-harvesting system and composting toilets have been set aside until such a time as the immediate priorities of the school relating to the lack of financial, educational, recreational and structural resources are addressed first.

Financial and Activity Projections

Activity	Unit	Time frame	Amount (Kip)	Total (Kip)
End of Year Prizes	1	Single Donation	1,050,000	1,050,000
English Teacher	1	9 Months	800,000	7,200,000
Teacher Training Fund	3	2 Months	2,000,000	6,000,000
Computer Fund	-	Year Round	2,000,000	2,000,000
Future Equipment Fund	-	Year Round	1,000,000	1,000,000
Student Training fund	3	9 Months	2,000,000	2,000,000
TOTAL FUND 2012-2013				19,250,000

Sustaining Communities will know concentrate its efforts into providing the school with the equipment and capital required to provide the students with relevant education and structurally sound building before we begin working on our long-term goal of providing for the school’s Water, Energy and Sanitation requirements.

Over the course of the next school year Sustaining Communities will now provide the Vang Vieng Primary School with the following:

- A full time English Teacher.
- A Sustainability Curriculum.
- Computer Training for Teachers.
- Computer Equipment.
- Stationary.
- Books and equipment for students.
- Sports equipment.

The Water phase of the project will also now take priority over the Energy and Sanitation phases according to the wishes of the school administration. Sustaining Communities welcomes and encourages all advice or criticism regarding how we conduct our operations in Laos as we believe this will assist us in our evolution as an organization. Please feel free to contact us by email on david@sustainingcommunities.org

Laos and Vang Vieng have a lot of potential for eco and adventure tourism which are the fastest growing sectors of the global tourism market. These children will be the guides, teachers and tourism operators of the future and we hope that they can benefit from this growing industry in a sustainable manner for generations to come.

– PHASE 3

Roof Repairs:

Upon request from the school administration funding has been sent to the school in order to help fix the school’s leaking and dilapidated roof. This has been our biggest expense so far and Sustaining Communities would like to express its gratitude to all those who donated for this effort. Pictures of the repairs can be seen on our Facebook page.