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 school in Kok Ngiew, Laos, they found students being taught in a space that housed no formal classrooms. The primary school students were studying within an old wooden structure that did not promote a quality learning environment for the students.
Your Impact with the New PoP School
You recognized and responded to the needs of Kok Ngiew by helping PoP and the community break ground on a new 3-classroom school, the Kok Ngiew Preschool and Primary school. Teachers, parents and community members were dedicated and committed to the project, contributing up to 20 percent of resources and labor. The Ministry of Education was also supportive throughout the build. We broke ground in February of 2014 and completed the build in June of 2014. The new school replaced the previous provisional structure completely. Students are now learning in a space big enough for preschoolers and primary students that is safe and promotes and environment for learning. You have helped to make this school build for the students of Kok Ngiew possible by creating a foundation where they’ll be able to realize their potential and promise.
