My first feature from Laos
By Tessa Bunney on 6 April 2013After many months of planning, fund-raising and anticipation; not to mention a bit of photography I am extremely excited to let you know that my first feature from Laos is published in the Financial Times Magazine (UK) and online today, Saturday 6th April.
The Vietnam war left Laos, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in history and 40 years on, the unexploded ordnance (UXO) is still killing and injuring its people including two year old Kayeng who was blinded by a UXO exploding whilst he was playing near his home in Xieng Khouang Province.
Back in November last year along with my friend and colleague Rebecca Harley, I travelled to Xieng Khouang province in Northern Laos to visit the all-female UXO clearance team working for the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), a humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict for the benefit of communities worldwide.
Also online at FT.com is an edited version of our photofilm To Serve A Nation – the full version will be available to view on Vimeo soon. I would also like to invite you download a pdf of the FT feature
Everyone at MAG was a pleasure to work with and soon I hope that I will be able to return to Xieng Khouang Province to share the film and photographs with the women’s team but in the meantime today I am heading off to Phongsaly province to document the slash and burn process as part of my on-going work about the changing landscape of Laos. That’s if it’s not too smoky to get there!
Thanks also goes to Arts Council England for supporting my work in Laos
