Novice Bountay is an inspiring person. He has been a student at LEOT (a free charity school) for 2 years now and excels in our computer class. Like other Novices, he goes to Buddhist high school each day and somehow manages to find time to study English, photography and a number of other interests. Read his own story below.
At the small school room at Wat Xieng Mouane, Luang Prabang with Novice Bountay
Last year he also started to learn Chinese. He amazes me how he jams so much into every day – and always seems to be smiling and so eager to learn. He has been a novice at one of my favourite temples for 6 years, right in the centre of Luang Prabang. During Boun Heua Fai (the fire boat festival/festival of light), this temple Xieng Muane is the most spectacular sight. It is beautifully lit with hundreds of lanterns hanging and lining the ground.
Lhai Heua Fai festival – a magic time to visit Luang Prabang.
Evening chanting inside Wat Xieng Mouane, Luang Prabang
Recently Novice Bountay went to his own village, a poor village in Chomphet district to take school supplies including fans for classrooms which didn’t have any. He received financial support from local expats and overseas donations.
Novice Bountay in his home village
On this trip, he met another village school that also has no electric ceiling fans, no electricity, or pens and books. We are currently looking for donations to help purchase this equipment that we will deliver to the village and work with them to get electricity installed.
If you can help please donate and in notes write Novice Tay. Thank you.
About Novice Bountay
Here is his story in his own words.
Hello! My name’s Novice Tay. I’m seventeen years old. I left from my family since I was ten to be a novice. I have less of time to visit them. Twice per year only. So miss them want to stay with them, but I also have my own dreams. Whenever I call to them. They always give me encouragement to keep going. So I have them to stay behind me. That is made me have encourage to study hard.
When I was young during the primary school education’s time I started to study at primary school. My parents gave me a small black board and some chalks. That’s tough time for students at school to study, cause we have to remember what the teacher taught the day from the day. When my board is full. I have to erase it, then start to write more. Now is a bit better, but they still want some help, but the stationary is not enough for them. The teacher also gave us the homework. We have to do it everyday and recite or review the lessons. Primary education is compulsory in Laos.
So now I knew how difficult it is, then I would like to help them to as much as I could.
Today they are children, but they will be adult in the future.
Thank you for your reading.
Sincerely,Novice Bountay.
Donation, Education, Festival, Laos, Luang Prabang, Monks, Poverty, School
[…] Recently he has been identifying remote village schools that are in need of school supplies and ceiling fans. Read the recent post. […]