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 68,000 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 98 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 benefiting from access to both educational infrastructure and quality instruction.
Before the PoP School Build
Previously, students at Phou Vieng Preschool and Primary School were taught in an unsafe and unfavorable learning environment. The preexisting structure was poorly constructed, made of thin and molding pieces of wood nailed together to form the classroom walls. Inside the structure, our team found dirt floors, aged furniture and rusted ceilings. All primary school students at Phou Vieng shared only two small and provisional classroom spaces. The classrooms were heavily congested as a result of the limited space, making it difficult for students to focus and concentrate. The poor condition of the preexisting structure, paired with the lack of classroom space needed to accommodate the larger student population, was creating an environment not conducive to effective learning.
Your Impact with the New PoP School
You recognized and responded to the needs of Phou Vieng by helping PoP and the community build a new three-classroom school, the Phou Vieng Preschool and Primary School. Teachers, parents and community members were dedicated to the project, with community members having contributed up to 20 percent of the resources and labor necessary to complete construction. The District of Education is willing to support PoP and make any contributions they see fit. Your generosity and compassion made this school build possible for the students of Phou Vieng. You’ve helped to create a safe, strong foundation where the students will be able to learn, grow and realize their full potential and promise.