As a soldier in 1966, Lee Thorn was assigned to an emergency bomb loading crew flying over Laos. After more than 30 years of flashbacks and nightmares, Lee returned to Laos, trying to make peace with his participation in war.

Back in the U.S., Lee teamed up with Laotian refugee Bounthanh (Boon-TAHN) Phommasathith to create the Jhai Foundation. A first shipment of medical supplies soon led to a project to improve healthcare for refugees from the American bombing. At the villagers' request a school followed; then well-digging; export of Laos' truly remarkable coffee as a cash crop;

 

then the development of a computer specially designed to connect the coffee growers in remote rural areas to the world markets—a computer run on bicycle power and able to operate in a downpour. Jhai's Internet Learning Centers project was the winner of the Stockholm Challenge award.

At every step, Jhai, which means "hearts and minds together", continues to work at the grassroots level, listening to the priorities of its Laotian partners, building relationship, doing the work of reconciliation.

Visit jhai.org