You Are 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 88 communities in Laos to ensure that our students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing a quality education. To date, PoP has impacted over 61,000 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 88 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 Houay Thong preschool and primary school, they found students being taught in an aging provisional structure made of wood, dirt floors and a corrugated metal roof. The wood showed signs of deterioration, evidenced by mold and water marks, which posed as a health hazard to students. Furthermore, classrooms were congested due to overcrowding, making it difficult for students to focus and concentrate. The school did not have the capacity to meet the needs of the growing student population and the community did not have the necessary funding to repair and refurbish their school.
Your Impact with the New PoP School
Classroom Friendly Supplies recognized and responded to the needs of Houay Thong by helping PoP and the community break ground on a new three-classroom school. Teachers, parents and community members were dedicated and committed to the project, contributing up to 20 percent of resources and labor. After three months, we mounted the plaque, concluding tireless work to build a school equipped with formal blackboards, benches, desks, doors, walls, and windows. Classroom Friendly Supplies made this school build possible, creating a safe, strong structural foundation that will allow the students in Houay Thong to learn and realize their potential and their promise.
