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.
Kok Ngiew
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With a population of around 302, Kok Ngiew is located within the Phon Xay district. Here, members of the community engage in farming and other agricultural and livestock-related activities. The Khmu language is spoken. |
Hakkasan Group’s Impact in Kok Ngiew
Students enrolled at the Kok Ngiew Preschool and Primary School previously attend class in community-built structures. The structures were all in poor condition, with wood and bamboo walls, dirt floors, and tin roofs that did not properly shelter students. The structures needed to be repaired annually by the community in order for teachers and students to utilize them due to the structure’s poor infrastructure. These conditions hindered learning, posing a hazard to student safety and engagement.
PoP partnered with the Kok Ngiew community to build a new four-classroom structure to replace the school. The community is committed to providing higher-quality education to its students and contributed 20% of the resources and labor required for construction. With Hakkasan Group’s support, we broke ground earlier this year completed the structure in January of 2020. The new Kok Ngiew Preschool and Primary School will provide a high-quality learning environment where every child can reach his or her unique potential.