JOURNEY TO LAOS AND BACK

Ms. Vang speaking about Hmong people

On March 21st, WFWP Minnesota Chapter invited Ms. Mai Ker Vang to be a guest speaker and talk about her recent trip to Laos, a small country in Southeast Asia which many Hmong people call home.

Mai Ker Vang works as a social worker and presently volunteers her time as a community advocate for the Hmong Nationalities Organization (HNO). She is also a host for a local Hmong radio program that airs once a week. Ms. Mai Ker Vang is also a fulltime wife and mother of four children. She is a driving force in the Hmong community, an inspiring leader, and a role model to the Hmong community and to many others.

Hmong traditional dress

Her work as an Ambassador for Peace volunteer has changed her life and strengthened her faith. In her presentation, she opened by asserting, "The Principles of Peace have changed my life." She continued to talk about her concern for human rights issues which has become the main motivator for her work.

Then, as she spoke about her trip to Laos, she discussed her life there before coming to America. She spoke of how the Hmong People in Laos continue to live in poverty and she outlined the history of suffering of the Hmong people. Some of her experiences on her trip to Laos included meeting young high school girls that were already prostitutes, boys that walked on dirt roads to school, and of being scared of the communist Lao government. Mai Ker also provided an extensive slide show of stunning pictures that stunningly portrayed an image of what Laos looks like and a feel for the people living there. Her story and presentation inspired many of the participants.

Then, for lunch, everyone enjoyed a Hmong-inspired cuisine that consisted of white rice, papaya salad, fried noodles, and chicken. Through this day, attendees experienced a taste of the Hmong people's life both in Minnesota and in Laos. We look forward to working with the Hmong community in Minnesota both now and in the future.

Embracing the Hmong people