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 98 communities in Laos to ensure that our students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing a quality education. To date, PoP has impacted over 68,000 lives 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 97 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 a PoP School Build
Previously, the students in the community of Thad, Laos were taught in overcrowded classrooms at the Phon Thad School. When our team first visited the Phon Thad School, they found students attending class in extremely overcrowded spaces. The school lacked the space necessary to accommodate the large student population. As a result, the classes were heavily congested and made it difficult for students to focus and concentrate.
Your Impact with a New PoP School
You recognized and responded to the needs of the Phon Thad School by helping PoP and the community complete the construction of a 2-classroom build. Teachers, parents and community members were actively engaged throughout the build process and remained committed to contributing up to 20 percent of resources and labor necessary to complete the build. The district education office was also supportive throughout the duration of this project. This new construction has expanded the size of the school, providing sufficient infrastructure to support the large number of students. Your compassion and generosity made this school build possible for the students of Thad, creating a strong foundation where they can realize their full potential and promise.