An Inspiring Laotian Activist:
Sombath Somphone has devoted his entire life working to promote education and sustainable development among young people in Laos PDR. His enforced disappearance in 2012, tragically cut short this work. Supporting a long determined effort to tell his story and raise international awareness, Sombath’s wife, Ng Shui Meng, has written a book entitled Silencing of a Laotian Son – the Life, Work and Enforced Disappearance of Sombath Somphone. The book was published in partnership with INEB and launched in Bangkok, Siam (Thailand) on 14 December, 2021. All proceeds from the sale of the book go towards the Sombath Somphone Memorial Fund to continue Sombath’s work and living legacy in Laos.
About the Fund:
Objectives
1) Education – To provide full or partial scholarships, especially to marginalized children and young people seeking to complete their education in schools or colleges.
2) Community projects – To provide small grants to active young adults (up to 35 years of age) to initiate start-up work or activities for youth in community education or development.
3) To support organizations providing education or humanitarian relief for at risk children and families.
The Sombath Family will match each donation to the fund dollar for dollar.
Awardees will be selected from countries in the Mekong Sub-Region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and southwest region China).
Ways to Support:
– Purchase Silencing of a Laotian Son (e-copy and paperback) and We Will Never Forgot (e-Book) through INEB’s website.
– Follow the Sombath Somphone & Beyond Project on Facebook
– Stay up to date by visiting Sombath’s offical website
– Donate directly to the Sombath Somphone Memorial Fund via INEB’s website*
*When making the donation, please specifically note that it is for the ‘Sombath Somphone Memorial Fund’
SSMF was established to continue the legacy and lifework of Sombath Somphone, a Lao community development activist,
who has always believed that sustainable change and development must come from within and through the work of people from their own areas.
We provide a small grant to not-for-profit activities initiated by groups and individuals, especially by young adults (up to 35 years of age), who try to help marginalized and at-risk children/youth, families, and communities in need of emergency and/or humanitarian support, particularly in the area of education.
In 2024, the Sombath Memorial Fund received 101 applications from Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Lao, Vietnam, and China. Through a rigorous selection process, the SMF Committee finally selected 15 awardees. The results of the work of these 15 awardees have been impressive.
We provide small grants for not for profit activities by groups and individuals who try to help marginalized and at risk children, families and communities particularly in the area of education
INEB announces the availability of small grant funds through the Sombath Somphone Memorial Fund. Applications can be submitted by non-profit organizations, or small groups and individuals from countries in the Mekong Sub-Region (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the southwest region of China).
We congratulate the eleven (11) awardees of the Sombath Somphone Memorial Fund that received up to 3,000 USD in funds
