For the past few weeks, two American Interns, Tyanne Benallie and Pema Domingo-Barker have been working with EDC. The interns accompanied Mr. Visay Sayyavongsa on a field assignment to the Nalongkhoun Village in the Phon Hong District in the Vientiane Province. The field assignment allowed the interns to see how EDC works in partnership with local villagers who produce handcraft bamboo/rattan products. Mr. Visay Sayavongsa and the interns talked with a local salesman in the Nalongkhoun Village. The local salesman took them around the village to see how the bamboo/rattan products are made. EDCs role in the whole process is to help prepare a website for the local salesman’s business in the Nalongkhoun Village. Intern Pema took various pictures for the local business upcoming website; these pictures will be used to advertise the local bamboo/rattan furniture products. This activity is within the frame of the Forest Connect Project in Lao PDR. For more information about the project, please visit Lao Bamboo Rattan Products

Website Training has been conducted for Lao SMFEs participating by numerous companies, NGOs and Government sectors, inclusive WWF, SNV, NAFRI, LHA, Danlao Rattan Company, Soubin Rattan Company, Vanvisa Villa and Guesthouse, Bamboo Trader Association and Producer group and Na yang village. Participants had learnt how to up-load information and photo to the web, as well as how to keep their website up-date.