A Single Spark

Sitting on a small wooden stool, holding a traditional Lao rice basket in her lap, Mrs. Van glows with happiness as she enthusiastically shares the importance these baskets have in Lao homes. Through the MCC Global Family supported project, she had the opportunity to share her talents and interest in bamboo weaving with the next generation. Local wisdom teachers, like Mrs. Van, are helping enrich young students’ learning by teaching practical handicrafts and kindling interest in traditional arts.

Mrs. Van Holding a Rice Basket

In a culture where sticky rice is eaten every day, rice baskets are central to family life and meals. Sticky rice, or gluttonous rice, is different from common white rice because after it is steamed it sticks together and is easily eaten by hand. In Lao homes, sticky rice is steamed several times a day and then stored in and eaten out of woven bamboo baskets.

Mrs. Van learned how to weave rice baskets from her grandmother about eight years prior to joining the local wisdom project. She first brought her expertise in local wisdom to the November 2010 Traditional Wisdom Training held in the district capital. She, along with other farmers and teachers, discussed local wisdom topics and how to include them in the school curriculum.

The next step was to return to their village and start implementing those activities in the schools, but at this point Mrs. Van felt apprehensive. ‘I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to teach the students how to weave… [and] was not sure of [teaching in the schools] at the beginning, but I knew we had a good plan and followed it.’

Mrs. Van may have been nervous and worried, but she was willing. She and two other villagers brought their expertise to the Khonsana Primary School, where they spent a day teaching students to whittle bamboo into thin strips and then weave those strips into rice baskets.

‘We worked in three groups.’ Mrs. Van shared, ‘Some students had difficulty figuring out how to [hold the knife and smooth the strips of bamboo].’ Because of these difficulties, students that knew how to whittle were paired with students that had difficulty. All the students worked together to create the final products, and their positive attitudes removed any fear Mrs. Van may have had in her inabilities to teach.

“Every student was interested! Some children had trouble finishing the rice basket at school, so they came to my home afterward, asking for my help… It makes me so happy to know that students are excited to learn. …I urge everyone in our village to make rice baskets so they can use them, or they can make them to sell. Though this is a very small activity in itself, when we do it together it can become a great success.”

Yum! Sticky Rice!

Now Mrs. Van, through the local wisdom program, has taken rice basket weaving full circle, transferring her knowledge to the next generation. Her involvement in activities, like integrating local wisdom into the school, keeps the spark of tradition and culture alive and spreading to the next generation.

A story written by Kaarina and submitted as part of a Global Family report.