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 Phon Kham community, they found students being taught in a provisional school structure that was previously built by the community. This structure is half cement and very dilapidated, making it unsafe for students to learn in. The students are using furniture that is very low quality, which makes for a distracting learning environment.
Your Impact with the New PoP School
You recognized and responded to the needs of Phon Kham by helping PoP and the community break ground on a new 3-classroom school, the Phon Kham Primary Schoool. Teachers, parents and community members are dedicated and committed to the project, and will contribute up to 20 percent of resources and labor. The Ministry of Education is also supportive of the build. After months, we will mount a plaque, concluding tireless work to build a school equipped with all the necessities in order to create a quality learning environment. You’ll make this school build for the students of Phon Kham possible and create a safe, strong foundation where they’ll be able to learn and realize their potential and promise.