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 over 90 communities in Laos to ensure that our students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing a quality education. To date, PoP has impacted over 65,000 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 90 schools in Luang Prabang Province, and in several communities has coupled school builds with educational programming, in order to ensure that our students are benefitting from access to both educational infrastructure and quality instruction.
Before the PoP School Build
Currently, the students of Houay Ot Preschool and Primary School are learning in provisional school structures. The primary space being used for education is made of wood and lacks a constructed floor, formal windows, doors and proper walls between classrooms. These structural issues, combined with a yearly increase in students attending Houay Ot Preschool and Primary School, lead to overcrowded classrooms and a distracting learning environment, ultimately, prohibiting student learning and engagement. Additionally, there is no storage space at the school for the teachers to keep their materials, which leads to even more overcrowding in the classrooms.
Your Impact with the New PoP School
You recognized and responded to the needs of Houay Ot by helping PoP and the community break ground on a new 5-classroom school. The entire Houay Ot community has engaged with the build process and has committed to providing up to 20% of materials and labor required for construction. The school being made possible by your support will include new classrooms for all preprimary and primary students and these classrooms will all have formal doors, windows, floors, walls and proper ventilation. The build will also include a new office for Houay Ot’s teachers to store their materials.