You’re Making a Difference Here
WHY LAOS?
In Laos, a lack of educational infrastructure is one of the greatest barriers to accessing quality education (BBC News Asia). 15% of people in Laos are illiterate, with even higher illiteracy rates amongst ethnic minorities (World Bank 2015).
Pencils of Promise works with 126 communities in Laos to ensure that students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing quality education. Currently, PoP is impacting over 38,000 students and teachers in Laos.
LUANG PRABANG
Luang Prabang Province, located in northern Laos, sits at the intersection of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers.
PoP has built over 120 schools in Luang Prabang Province and is currently working in collaboration with communities to support teachers and provide quality infrastructure to ensure that students have access to quality education.
Nong Ien
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With a population of around 480, this community is located within the Vieng Kham district. Here, members of the community engage in upland rice farming and other agricultural- and livestock-related activities. The Khmu language is spoken here. |
Jake and Jill’s Impact in Nong Ien
Previously, students enrolled at the Nong Ien Preschool and Primary School attended class in a community-built structure. Third and Fourth graders were sharing a small cement classroom, making the space feel even smaller and allows for distractions in the classroom. The structure was old and slowly falling apart. Students were forced to learn in a building with leaking roofs, breaking walls, and cracking floors. The community structures did not properly shelter students from the environmental elements. These conditions hindered learning, posing a hazard to student safety and engagement.
PoP has been able to partner with the Nong Ien community to build a new four-classroom structure. The community is committed to providing higher-quality education to its students, and has contribute 20% of the resources and labor required for construction. The project broke ground in June of 2019 and, following months of hard work, was completed in October of 2019. The new Nong Ien Preschool and Primary School will provide a high-quality learning environment where every child can reach his or her unique potential.