You’re Making a Difference Here
LAOS
In Laos, one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, a lack of educational infrastructure is one of the greatest barriers to accessing a quality education (BBC News Asia). 27% of people in Laos are illiterate, with even higher illiteracy rates amongst ethnic minorities (World Bank 2014).
Pencils of Promise works with 104 communities in Laos to ensure that our students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing a quality education. To date, PoP has impacted over 13,000 students in Laos.
LUANG PRABANG
Luang Prabang Province, located in northern Laos, sits at the intersection of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. Although a beautiful area, Luang Prabang lacks sufficient educational infrastructure.
PoP has built over 104 schools in Luang Prabang Province, working in collaboration with communities to couple school builds with teacher training, in order to ensure that our students are benefitting from access to both educational infrastructure and quality instruction.
Before the PoP School Build
When our team first visited the school in Houay Yen, Laos, they found students being taught in an aging provisional structure made of cement, wood and metal. Many of the interior walls were broken and the classrooms were extremely narrow, preventing students from focusing on their lessons due to external distractions. There was also a lack of classroom furniture, so many students sat on the cold cement floor during their lessons. These structural and spatial issues severely hindered student growth and development.
Your Impact with the New PoP School
You recognized and responded to the needs of Houay Yen by helping PoP and the community build a new four-classroom school, the Houay Yen Preschool and Primary School. This school will serve all preprimary and primary students in the Houay Yen community, providing access to formal classrooms complete with constructed doors, windows, floors and ceilings. Each student will attend class in a formal, safe classroom setting with adequate space for learning. The Houay Yen community was dedicated to their students and committed to providing up to 20 percent of the material and labor necessary to complete construction.
