Bounchanh Senthavong, Vice president of the Lao American Women Association of Washington DC, talked to VOA about an up coming event in the Washingotn DC, the first Youth Conference ,which will be held on Aug 13, 2005.
The purpose of this gathering is mainly to help prepare members of the Laotian younger generation to get ready for their future plans and to cope with the many uncertainties and obstacles facing them in life after graduating from high school, and to create a closer relationship between the two generations by merging the gab.
The Lao American Women Association (LAWA) of Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area was incorporated in the State of Virginia as a non-profit organization in early 1995. LAWA is the first women’s organization in the nation’s capital established by Laotian-born American women.
The founders of LAWA are Mrs. Khoun Souvannavong, Mrs. Bounheng Inversin, Mrs. Bounchanh Senthavong, along with many other Laotian American women in the Washington metropolitan area.
The goal of the organization is to maintain, preserve, and promote Lao culture and traditions. LAWA will serve as a foundation to support, recognize, empower, and educate Laotian-American women to help them cope with their new social and economical environments while living in exile in America. In addition, LAWA will be the center point that bridges the gap between the old and newer generations of Lao-Americans.
Listen to our audio for more detailed information.