Popular Malaysian singer-songwriter and actor Michael Wong will arrive in Vientiane next week, according to the World Vision Office to Laos yesterday.

Mr Wong will visit Laos from June 10-14 as World Vision Malaysia 's goodwill ambassador. He will visit development projects in Khammuan and Savannakhet provinces.

During his time in Laos Mr Wong will trek through poor rural villages to meet children and families living in poverty, and learn how he can respond to the needs of the communities they live in. He will also visit exciting projects to understand how community development works in Laos and how these projects improve the lives of poor people...more info>>

After his visit, Mr Wong will return to Malaysia to raise awareness and promote the fight against poverty in Laos and in other parts of the world.

He will be promoting a special campaign called the “30 Hour Famine” through which young people learn about poverty and are given opportunities to raise money and awareness to eradicate poverty and hunger around the world.

The hope is that through Michael Wong's personal experience and example, the youth of Malaysia will become more active in their support for those living in poverty, especially children.

Michael Wong has recorded over 8 albums and has 10 movie and drama appearances to his credit. He is in the Malaysia Book of Records as the Malaysian Chinese male composer with the highest number of awards and also for his best selling album entitled Tong Hua. He has earned 44 awards for his music.

Gaining more and more recognition globally, Mr Wong was recently appointed as Tourism Malaysia 's ambassador. His participation in the A Music records label in Hong Kong has also gained him more recognition in Asia .

World Vision is an international NGO working in 31 districts of 6 provinces in Laos to create lasting change for children, families, and communities living in poverty. Through child sponsorship funding, World Vision works in many sectors, such as mother and child health, food security, and education.

By Vientiane Times

Photo: Ms Sammi Cheung (left) and Ms Gigi Leung have fun with children in Pakxeng district.

Hong Kong singing stars Ms GiGi Leung and Ms Sammi Cheung visited Pakxeng district in Luang Prabang province as Child Sponsorship Ambassadors for World Vision last week.

The purpose of their visit was to meet sponsored children and learn more about poverty stricken communities so that World Vision can improve its services.

Upon their return to Hong Kong, Ms Leung and Ms Cheung said they will share their experiences and raise awareness amongst their fans and the people of Hong Kong to help those less fortunate around the world...more info>>

They hope to take home the message that there are many people still suffering from hunger and who have little opportunity to study or lift themselves out of poverty.

Ms Leung said there were three main things she wanted to share. “The first is to cherish all life, second is to be thankful for what you have, and third is to give generously.”

They said that they were deeply touched by the generosity and hospitality of the people in Laos , especially in the rural areas.

They added that people received them with smiles and treated them warmly, especially during baci ceremonies. “Lao people are very friendly, helpful and very honest,” said Ms Leung.

Ms Leung and Ms Cheung each shared one of their many memorable moments from their visit to Pakxeng district.

“My special moment was when I met my sponsored child, Yong. We went with him to fetch some water from down the hill. He was holding my hand, I think because he had presumed that we didn't know the place very well.”

“He is a really good boy and hardworking too; I was so glad to spend some time with him and his family,” Ms Leung added.

Ms Cheung said that her special moment was having lunch with her 10 sponsored children.

“I realised that education is really important as it can give children the confidence to face the future. I would like to continue to help people and have good relationships with my sponsored children in the rural communities,” she said.

This was Ms Cheung's first visit to a developing country and her time in Laos had a great impact on her.

She knew that this opportunity had taught her many lessons and transformed her life. She said she would give a helping hand to more people in the years to come.

The two women also visited some of the projects sponsored by World Vision and learnt about its combined work with the government of Laos in poverty alleviation projects for the diverse population of the country.

World Vision is an international NGO working in 31 districts across 6 provinces, whose goal is to uplift the living standards of the poorest people in society.

World Vision is implementing a number of projects in areas such as mother and child health, water and sanitation, education, food and child sponsorship that focus mainly on the well being of children.

By Ms Vanhlee Lattana, Communication Associate, World Vision Lao PDR

This photo, published on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, shows Hong Kong singer and actress Gigi Leung (L) and Sammi Cheung at a Hong Kong airport, waiting to set off on their charity journey to Laos.

BEIJING, Feb. 20 -- Hong Kong singer and actress Gigi Leung and Sammi Cheung embarked on a charity trip to Laos on Tuesday, on a mission to draw attention to the nation's malnourished children through a 30-hour outdoor experience.

The Hong Kong-based publication Tungstar reports that the pair will live a primitive life during the campaign, camping in the fields and eating wild game for food...more info>>

"I have brought everything that may help me, including a pillow and a nightgown," Leung said nervously of the potential survival challenges.


Photo: Gigi Leung

As part of the 30-Hour Famine campaign launched by the international organization World Vision aimed at fighting hunger, the trip is expected to draw more celebrities eager to use their star power to enact change.


Photo: Sammi Cheung

Leung and Cheung are two of the project's three ambassadors in Hong Kong.

(Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

Taiwanese star to visit Laos

Popular Taiwanese actor Mr Wang Lee Hom will visit Savannakhet province this week as part of activities to raise funds for development projects in Laos.

A press release from World Vision Laos stated that the organisation had invited Mr Lee Hom and his entourage to visit the province from November 24 to 28 to inspect World Vision-sponsored development projects and meet local children and community people.

Mr Lee Hom, who is also a singer and song-writer, appears in the recently released motion picture Lust, Caution, a film by director Ang Lee, personally sponsors 10 Lao children in Savannakhet through World Vision...more info

The celebrity will trek through poor rural communities for five days to visit the children he sponsors and their families, and learn how he can respond to the needs of the communities they live in.

After the trip, he will return to Taiwan as World Vision's Sponsorship Ambassador, to raise awareness and encourage donors to provide funds for Laos and other parts of the world.

According to the press release, the hope is that through Lee Hom's personal experience and example, the people of Taiwan will be moved to action and become more active in their support for those living in poverty, especially for the children of Laos .

To date, Mr Lee Hom has recorded over 10 albums and has seven movie appearances to his credit. He has also won numerous music awards and his talent is highly recognised across the region in Taiwan , Hong Kong, mainland China , Singapore , Japan , and Southeast Asia .

World Vision Laos is an international NGO working in 31 districts across six provinces to create lasting change for children, families, and communities living in poverty. Through child sponsorship funding, World Vision works across many sectors including Mother and Child Health, Food Security, and Education.

By Vientiane Times



A Different Kind of Giving Thanks,

In the Wang household, Thanksgiving has been the one time each year when my family gets together for dinner cooked by the greatest chef on earth (in my eyes) Wang Mama.

No matter how busy I am, or where in the world I am, I always stop work and fly to New York for a taste of that mouth-watering turkey stuffing.

Just thinking about it now: fresh, juicy, chock full of the flavor that is synonymous with Thanksgiving...it's almost enough to make me book that flight back home. But this year, for the first time in my life, I'm choosing to cancel my reservation. This year, I'm trading turkey for crickets.

Or I should say, rice, bamboo, crickets and crabs, to be more exact, which will probably be what I eat on my trip to Laos as World Vision Taiwan's ambassador this Thanksgiving.

The origin of Thanksgiving is to "give thanks", for being blessed with a fruitful harvest, and having enough to eat.

The way I see it (and I know my family agrees), what better way to give thanks,
than to help children living in poverty, who perhaps didn't have such a fruitful harvest. I'm excited for this trip, to meet my 10 sponsored children for the first time face to face, and to share with them the universal language of music.
I can't wait to see them smile, and to hear them sing. And of course, I am looking forward to the work that lies ahead of me in presenting,
as ambassador, a clearer picture of what World Vision Taiwan has
accomplished and has yet to accomplish in the impoverished areas of Laos.

My new album, "Change Me" delivers a message of power to the people,
that we all have the ability to do the right thing, and to make a change for good.

To change the world. Whether it be in environmental conservation, charity work, or in my professional career, I am inspired by this message,
and hope that you are inspired this holiday season as well.
After all, inspiration is the first seed for a fruitful harvest!

Happy Thanksgiving!

王力宏
Wang Leehom
2007.11.21