MiVAC Blog

MiVAC BLOG

The Much Maligned Biodigester

  The purpose of the Biodigester is multidimensional. The one at Ban Xai was conceived before electricity was in the village so the main reasons were to provide methane gas for cooking and heating, to save firewood, to provide an alternative to having unhealthy smoke filled houses and to provide

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Changes in Staffing at Ban Xai

      There has been a number of changes in staffing at MiVAC’s Ban Xai project. Steve Carroll who was Projects Director and Projects Manager has been replaced by Rob Woolley as Projects Director (Rob is MiVAC’s Founding Director or Trustee) and by Michael Weibler as Projects Manager. You

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More input from Matt Pittendreigh

Fish Security MiVAC is experimenting with the density of fish that can be grown in an artificial environment – a concrete tank. We have a long way to go before we can pass on to the locals of how they can make money growing and selling fish. The fish that

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Matt Pittendreigh – A Ban Xai Volunteer.

     Water and Toilets for Pong Hor School   Matt Pittendreigh is a Military Engineer – a Sapper is a better name. He met Sandy MacGregor in his Combat Engineer Regiment just before his deployment to Afghanistan. Over a few beers in the canteen Sandy talked about MiVAC. When

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MiVAC Volunteer Positions

    MiVAC VOLUNTEER POSITIONS LAO PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC   JOB TITLE:  LAO PDR VOLUNTEER  OPERATIONS MANAGER JOB TITLE:  VOLUNTEER MENTORS AND COACHES – 12 POSITIONS   JOB DESCRIPTIONS   JOB TITLE:  LAO PDR VOLUNTEER  OPERATIONS MANAGER Location:  Phonsavan,  Xien Khouang Province – LAO PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC. The Operations Manager

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My MiVAC Trip – By Kate Mulvany

  Toward the end of last year, my partner Hamish, my father Danny and myself joined a small group of travellers on a life-changing trip to Laos. I was there as ambassador to MiVAC (Mines Victims and Clearance) – an organisation that commits itself to providing care and assistance to

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The Ban Xai Annual Report – Sandy MacGregor

The Ban Xai Annual Report In June 2013 John Salter delivered MiVAC’s Annual Report to assembled representatives of Phoukood District and Xiengkhouang MoFA. The day started at the MiVAC Farm at Ban Xai where Yang gave a briefing of what had been achieved outside the farm. This was followed by

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Tourism not far from Phonsavan – Sandy MacGregor

  On the Sunday afternoon my brother Chris and I were taken past Ban Xai to the old CIA airstrip.  During the war the CIA using Hmong and Thai forces operated from three airfields. The one in the town of Phonsavan, the current airstrip called Xiengkhouang and this one which

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New Use For Minefield – Sandy MacGregor

New Use For Minefield The month was June – June 2013. It was late in the afternoon and Yang drove me past the Pong Hor school, past the Police Agricultural buildings and then I spied it. New Fences! That’s right the area around the Khangpunghor Minefield had been fenced. I

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