SOUNDS of suppressed laughter are audible in a small farm called Mulberries in Xiangkhoung, Laos, where a group of women huddle over a boiling cauldron of natural dye.

The bashful ladies are endearing, but so is Kommaly Chantavong, despite her matronly demeanor giving out instructions in a firm but kind voice as she ushers a group of visitors from Maybank Foundation to explore the farm.