Our thanks to David Evans of Sanofi-Aventis for capturing this story while on an observational trip to Laos with Vitamin Angels.

Mr. Sone’s 4 year old daughter attends Lathsene Preschool. She has been part of the multivitamin program for one year now and has been diligently taking her vitamins every day. Mr. Sone has noticed that his daughter is a lot brighter and healthier since taking the vitamins, however sometimes they make her feel sick. He went on to explain that he didn’t believe that the vitamins were the problem though as his daughter is sensitive to any medications.

When asked what I recommended for him to do so that she would continue taking her vitamins I suggested he try crushing up the tablet and mixing it in with her food each day (when she isn’t looking). He agreed that this seemed like a good idea and told me that he thinks his daughter only gets sick because she sees the vitamin before she takes it and he thinks that crushing the tablet and hiding it in her food might work.

Mr. Sone said that initially his daughter never used to like eating her vegetables but since the school has started to educate the children about nutritious food and why eating well is good for them, she now comes home from school and teaches her parents what she has learned. She now loves to eat all of her vegetables.

Mr. Sone, age 36, is a secondary school teacher in a village neighboring Lathsene. He lives with his wife and daughter in a tiny two-room wooden house with a thatched roof. The family grows their own vegetables at home but can only grow a few green vegetables as there is not enough room in the garden to grow anything more. He tells us that the local economy is poor and most people cannot afford to buy nutritious foods including fruits, vegetables and meat on a regular basis.

Mr. Sone would love to become an orchid farmer but unfortunately he knows that his dream may never come true due to the high risk of UXOs in the land surrounding the villages. He believes that the UXOs have had a big impact on the villager’s economic status and health due to the inability to grow more nutritious foods.

Mr. Sone would love for his daughter to become a doctor some day so she can care for people in villages who can’t afford medical care.

When asked if he had any questions for me, he asked, “Apart from vitamins, what can I do for my daughter so that she can get the best out of life?” I responded that she could eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables as each contains different kinds of vitamins and nutrients. I also suggested, he always encourage her to do well in school and to stay healthy by continuing to take the vitamins. To support her and give her lots of positive reinforcement so she can fulfill her dreams.