Hello dear friends,

After the winter passed and the rainy season started, here are some fresh news from LaVieVuLinh 3rd newsletter! On the menu: details of our progress on our environment preservation projects, on our annual cultural Festival and the planned reactivation of our educational programme! We will end this newsletter with a brief update on the commercial development of the eco-lodge.

ENVIRONMENT

Thanks to the Ecobole crowdfunding exercise successfully launched end 2015 and to ECM- Solidarité International and EXO Foundation fundings, LVVL has been able to resume its sustainable energy, water-treatment and agroforestry development projects.

A young French-Vietnamese engineer came two months to start the construction of the water phyto-purification basins and repair the existing biogas system. Two phyto systems have been built: one for treating the stilt-house waters, the other for the upper lakeview rooms. The biogas system on site has been duly repaired. After a summer break, Dan-Tam Costa, our dedicated engineer, should come back to finish the project by installing the same equipment at a few volunteering households in the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile two French engineers in agro-ecology also spent 4 months on-site to develop our agroforestry project. They built and arranged the terraces, took care of existing fruit trees against predators, planted new ones, created a tropical vegetables garden and started a micro-irrigation system.

As one of the engineers went back to France, the other is staying over the summer to maintain the garden and form the our staff to become able farmers.

CULTURE

Our 8^th cultural festival was held on the week-end of April 30^th. It was a huge success with more than 100 people turning up for a day, two or the whole week-end. Foreigners could enjoy the calm of the Thac Ba lake. The festival offered a perfect setting for a relaxed gateway from Ha Noi during this long holiday.

Most importantly, the festival was a success as locals from all ages participated to the activities from day one. On the Friday evening’s singing competition, more than 30 people and groups were enlisted to make their talent heard and seen. From traditional Dzao dances to contemporary electronic music, everyone shared his/her passion in a friendly atmosphere.

On the following days, football tournaments, shooting stands, games on the water, paddling competitions and other traditional Dzao games were organized.

The festival closed off in a joyful and relaxed atmosphere, with every one fulfilled by this cultural exchange opportunity.

EDUCATION

After almost a year of interruption due to a lack of financial resources, we are determined, despite no real aid fundings having been forthcoming yet, to plan resumption of the Educational part of the LVVL project. Discussions are underway to have with us on site a volunteer from France for the summer. The French volunteer would give French, English and some additional general culture to the LVVL staff. The courses will of course be open to children and adults from nearby villages. Such courses to our staff are essential as they need to be able to communicate with our clients and answer their needs and requests.

IN BRIEF

ECO-LODGE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

During the last quarter of 2015 La Vie Vu Linh was confronted to the challenge of being able to receive, accommodate and entertain a group of 100 students plus 30 accompanying adults in a big outdoor stay.
Despite tight financial resources LVVL has been able to invest in extending our eco-lodge facilities in time for the event that took place in January 2016.

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