Children in a small village in northern Laos, in one of the poorest primary schools, can now attend school with new satchels and rulers sent to them from Mount Gambier by the AUSTimber organisers.

The AUSTimber satchels and rulers were distributed to the Year 5 and 6 students at the village school. The supplies were plentiful and also given to the students at the high school in the neighbouring village.

Steve Midgley, who acted as Chairman for the main AUSTimber 2008 conference in Mount Gambier, has spent a significant part of his forestry career working in Laos and Steve's wife, Dao, is engaged in community work in that country. At Steve's suggestion the AUSTimber organisers sent satchels and rulers remaining from the conference to Dao Midgley for use in her village development work in Ban Kok Gniew, northern Laos.

Seng Dao SSS (Small Simple Satisfaction) Project is a one-to-one NGO established by Dao Midgley and the work Dao does includes the refurbishment of the primary school buildings, building of water supplies and support for 19 children from disadvantaged families to attend school and vocational training for four teenagers.

"Seng Dao SSS Project is grateful for the support provided by AUSTimber and particularly thanks David Quill and Stephen Midgley for their generous and forward thinking to contribute the rulers and satchels to one of the poorest primary schools in Luang Prabang district. The teachers, students and village officers all appreciated the gifts. Small targeted contributions can make a good contribution to basic education", said DAO Midgley from Seng Dao SSS Project.

David Quill, General Manager AUSTimber 2008 and AUSTimber 2012 said "when organising events of this magnitude surplus items do often present a challenge in how best to use them, or who to give them to. On sighting the surplus satchels, Steve saw an opportunity to put them to good use and arranged to transport them Laos. The children were very excited and grateful, as can be seen by the pride with which they show off their new satchels"