Our Diverse Community
Vanmai consists of families from the northern uplands of Lao PDR.
We are a mix of different ethnic groups, but we all share a desire to escape from poverty and leave opium behind.
Our People
Over 800 Families
diverse & united community
3 ethnic groups
We come from families from 12 different villages in Houaphanh Province, located in the Northeast uplands of Lao PDR. Our background means we have a lot in common. We all come from remote areas, we are all poor, we all have a history of opium cultivation, and we all share a desire to improve our living conditions by becoming coffee farmers.
At the same time, our individual families mean that we have different identities, different histories, different hopes and different challenges. We are men and women, we are big families and small families, and we are young and old. Some villages have electricity, others don’t. Some of us like to enjoy a glass of Lao Kao in the evening, while others prefer tea.
We consist of three ethnic groups, with different traditions and beliefs; we are Hmong, Khmu and Tai Daeng, but we are joined by a common goal. As we are all transitioning away from opium cultivation and becoming coffee farmers, we want to share our stories. Stories about what we have in common, stories about what unites us, and stories about the individuals, communities and hopes that make up Vanmai.
Our Land
Houaphanh, Laos
mountainous terrain
forest land
Our province of Houaphanh is dominated by mountains, with most of us living in villages high up in the mountainsides. It is a really beautiful province, with forests, rivers, waterfalls, hills and valleys. It is also a challenging area, especially when it comes to transportation. Most of our villages are only connected to the rest of the province through narrow access roads that are very difficult to use during the monsoon season.
At the same time as our geography unites us, we come from four different districts within the province: Kwan, Xamtai, Xamneua and Xone which are different in many ways. Xamneua is the provincial capital with a long history, while Kwan and Xone only recently became individual districts. Xamtai is famous for its weaving traditions and for making the most beautiful traditional costumes in the country, while Xone is known for its location bordering the Nam Et Phou national protected area.
While we come from different districts and different villages, we hope to be an inspiration for other farming communities in our area showing that if smallholder farmers like us work together, we can be strong and successful.
Meet our