Welcome to Luang Prabang Province, Laos!
With support from Alessandro Cerase, Samuele Candido, Giovanni Moscatelli, Roberto Garcia, Neeraj Yadvendu and Lesley Borg, PoP is partnering with a community in the Luang Prabang province to construct a new three-classroom structure and create a quality learning environment for hundreds of students and teachers. This school is made in memory of Tommaso Cerase.
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 190 communities in Laos to ensure that students overcome these, and other, barriers to accessing quality education. Currently, PoP is impacting over 20,000 students and teachers in Laos.
Luang Prabang Province
Located in northern Laos, Luang Prabang province is currently home to more than 430,000 residents. The capital city, also named Luang Prabang, has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site since 1995 due to its architectural, cultural, and religious heritage, and it was in this province where the first Kingdom of Laos was established in the 14th century. The Khmu and Hmong are the largest ethnic groups in Luang Prabang province.
Tommaso's Memory in Luang Prabang Province
The school currently has three classrooms, each of which are shared by multiple grades. The building is a wooden structure with old furniture and a tin roof. These conditions hinder learning, posing a hazard to student safety and engagement.
In the coming months, PoP will be partnering with the community to build a new three-classroom structure. The community is committed to providing higher-quality education to its students and will contribute 20% of the resources and labor required for construction. We expect to break ground in November 2021 and hope to complete construction in May 2022.
The new primary school will provide a high-quality learning environment where every child can reach their unique potential.
Made possible with support from:
Alessandro Cerase
Samuele Candido
Giovanni Moscatelli
Roberto Garcia
Neeraj Yadvendu
Lesley Borg
In Memory of Tommaso Cerase
EXPECTED BREAK GROUND:
November 2021
EXPECTED COMPLETION:
May 2022
