OVERVIEW
Our partners are working with six cluster villages located in remote hill tribe areas, close to the border of Vietnam. This area has been selected for its extreme poverty and limited support from other NGOs and government that comes with isolated ethnic villages in remote mountainous regions. Our partners are running integrated community development projects to enable villages to improve sustainable livelihood for themselves and their families.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT
Our implementing partners are helping the local communities to strengthen cohesion and ownership of the development process, enhancing the educational achievements of lower secondary school students and improving literacy and life-skills among illiterate teenagers and adults. An integrated development program like this also aims to enhance food security and economic viability for the poorest families and improve the health status of the community. There is high participation of the community in social advocacy, constant links to government and private service providers and strong community-based leadership.
BUDGET
$14,100 for the final year of a 3-year project. Entrust is helping to fund the water and sanitation component of the project – school and household toilets, water filters and training in hygiene and sanitation.
THE NEED
While overall poverty in Laos is gradually declining, the country’s rapid economic growth has not benefitted all equally. Those in geographically disadvantaged areas have seen an increase in poverty and large disparities in skills-based job opportunities. For example, in the hill tribes of Sekong Province, there is only one midwife to serve 7-8 villages (1,500 people) and a dire shortage of teachers who can’t access the villages during the rainy season. 44% of children under five have stunted growth and 27% are severely underweight.
LIFE CHANGE
