For Yolanda victims, Laos youth leaders donate cash

CEBU, Philippines - Youth leaders from Laos donated the amount of nine million kips (P49,331) to help survivors of typhoon Yolanda, and handed over the amount to Joseph Quesada, youth leadership manager of the Ayala Foundation.

The money was given to the Ayala Foundation, head organizer of the LEAD ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Youth Summit, which gathered around 150 delegates from Southeast Asian countries, who are alumni of  US government-sponsored exchange programs and the Ayala Young Leaders Congress.

The summit was held Monday last week and ran until Friday.

Ketsada Soysouvanh, a Laotian alumna of the Study of the US Institutes last year, said, "We wanted to bring our donation personally to Manila in time for the summit here."

Their donation drive spanned for two weeks, with most of their funds were revenues from cookie sales and money dropped in their donation boxes, Soysouvanh said. "We set up donation boxes during the Wig Bazaar and a dance event in Vientiane, the capital of Laos," she added.

Soysouvanh also said Philippine Ambassador to Laos, Maria Lumen Isleta, expressed her happiness and gratitude in their donation drive for the Yolanda survivors.

"Some people even doubted that we would give it to the typhoon survivors, but we assured them that we are coming here to Manila to give it to them," she said, adding that although their donation isn't much, but "as an ASEAN country, we think that if there's something we can help, we better share and care as we show our love for each other."

Quesada, for his part, said the Ayala Foundation was very grateful for the unexpected donation. "It's very heartwarming to know that other countries help us in times of difficulty, but it's all different when it comes from your closest neighbors," he told The Freeman, adding that youth delegates from Malaysia and Myanmar also donated money.

The donation will be going to Ayala Foundation's general fund, which will be used for rehabilitation efforts in parts badly hit by typhoon Yolanda, Quesada said. — (FREEMAN)