On behalf of
the Ford Motor Company, Lao Ford City Co., Ltd., a main distributor of Ford
vehicles Laos, has provided funds to support the clearance of unexploded
ordnance (UXO) and assist a school affected by unexploded ordnance in Xieng
Khuang province.
On April 24,
a Lao Ford City team handed over US$20,000 to UXO Clearance Solutions, received
by Aaron Hayes, Chief Executive Officer; Michael Vilhelmsen, Project Manager;
and Khamphone Saypaseuth, Consultant. UXO Clearance Solutions works to clear unexploded
ordnance across Xieng Khuang province. The organisation will use the money to improve and
otherwise assist Sixiengmai Primary School. Lao Ford City has been a part of previous
social assistance efforts, helping flood victims in Khoun district, Khammuan
province. Lao Ford also
provided assistance to children with disabilities through the Hands of Hope
programme, and provided educational equipment to children at Nongchong school
in Chomphet district, Luang Prabang province. This support demonstrates Lao Ford Motor’s
and Lao Ford City’s strong commitment to social assistance.
Lao Ford City
said surveys conducted and statistics compiled from 2015-2021 reveal that the
number of UXO-related accidents at schools is high. Sixiengmai Primary School is located in an
area that used to be an old military camp, where there are still some dangerous
and unexploded munitions fragments. The school is in a very dilapidated condition, so Lao
Ford Motor and Lao Ford City provided funds to UXO Clearance Solutions to
complete their field work.
UXO Clearance
Solutions is a foreign-owned and managed UXO/ERW clearance company based in
Laos. The staff, both Lao and foreign, have decades of history working in this
industry and have been key players in establishing the institutions of the UXO
sector here. Lao Ford City
Co., Ltd. distributes Ford vehicles and provides automotive services, along
with helping Lao people in need, as is currently the situation. Lao Ford City
staff travel from the northern to the southern provinces in Ford vehicles to
provide assistance, using high-performance automobiles that enable drivers to
overcome all kinds of challenging road conditions, including rocky surfaces,
mud and sand. These vehicles can also carry large loads.
