Room to Read Blog

In Laos, Life Skills Training Helps One Little Girl Dream Big

In the village, many people call Pamoxong “the little one,” in reference to her height and slight frame, but friends say that the nickname is misleading given her big personality. 

Now 13 years old, Pamoxong is in 7^th grade and on her second year of support from Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program. Formerly a shy, uncertain student, she has enthusiastically joined all of the life skills training sessions provided by the program and says they have helped her find her voice.

“I can now say out loud with confidence that I will get a full education so that I can become the most capable female physician in my village,” she shares proudly. “It is not only a dream; I will make it come true.” 

According to Pamoxong’s social mobilizer (mentor), Thiphavanh, “her generous and active personality, smiling face and persuasive words are Pamoxong’s most featured characteristics.” Since joining the program herself, the “little one” has become a powerful advocate for girls’ education within her community.

Pamoxong’s village in Oudomxay, Laos is populated primarily by Hmong people, an ethnic minority in the country. For Pamoxong’s family, and many of their neighbors, the barriers to education are even greater than for the rest of the country, as many in the Hmong community cannot speak fluently in the Lao national language.

“Pamoxong is a crucial motivator who helps us translate between Hmong and the Lao language,” says Thiphavanh. “She convinces parents in the community to value education and send their daughters to school."

Thiphavanh’s sentiments are echoed by Padaiya, one of Pamoxong’s good friends. “When Room to Read visited my house to meet my parents, Pamoxong was the real behind-the-scenes lobbyist," says Padaiya. "She talked to me and my parents about the opportunities I would get from joining the program.”

A few months into the school year, Padaiya considered dropping out because of her family’s financial situation, but once again Pamoxong was there to encourage her friend to keep going. “I think I’m so lucky to be her friend,” says Padaiya with a smile.

In her own family, Pamoxong’s newfound commitment to education has had an incredible impact as well. The third-born in a family of six children, she has seen the consequences of a lack of education, as her older sibling both dropped out of school to help earn money for the family. 

Her father, Mr. Tong, says that after seeing his daughter succeed he is now committed 100 percent to keeping his other children in school, too. “I will do the best to support them as high as they dream to go,” he says.  

Ms. Xia, Pamoxong’s mother, can only speak Hmong, but doesn’t let the language barrier stop her from sharing her perspective through her daughter’s careful translations. “I do not want my child to live like me, to work hard and barely understand Lao language because I did not get chance to attend school,” she says. “My parents told me that studying was not necessary for a girl—that it was a guy’s business, but now everything has changed.”

With newfound confidence, a clear path forward and the support of her family, it seems that this “little one” is poised to accomplish some very big things.

Learn more about our work in Laos.

Spotlight on Sustainability: Checking up on a Completed Library Project in Laos

The library at Lakhonepheng Complete Primary School in Salavan, Laos is always neat and well-organized, thanks to the school’s dedicated staff. “The selection of our school for a library is so meaningful for our community,” says principal Bouaphan Dokdaoheuang, who notes that the village is more than two hours’ drive form the provincial center.

The school has been maintaining the library entirely on its own since Room to Read’s three-year support period ended in 2011, so when our team returned for an annual monitoring visit to find it running as smoothly as ever, we were extremely pleased.

The school’s teacher-librarian is an extremely energetic 23-year-old named Daosavanh, who says her favorite part of her job is creating interactive activities and games related to the storybooks on the shelves. “The library isn’t just about reading good books,” she says, “but it is also like a student center—a comfortable place where they can explore their infinite imaginations.”

“I never tell the children to be quiet when coming into library,” shares Daosavanh. “Instead, I read for them and encourage them to do many activities.” Her technique is working, she says, adding that, “their excitement tells me that they will be back another day.”

It would seem Daosavanh is on to something with her library management style, as several of the 4^th and 5^th graders have started volunteering as book classification assistants.

When visiting Lakhonepheng Complete Primary School recently, our team met one eager young reader named Kingsada, who insisted upon sharing his story. Now in 3^rd grade, Kingsada comes into the library each day to check out a new book. Clutching his latest storybook selection to his chest, he recalled his first experience in the library. “My teacher told a story from a book with beautiful pictures called A Bunny and a Carrot,” he shared, beaming. “I liked the story so much and looked through it many times on my own—page by page—to see the nice drawings, [and] it became one of my favorite books!”  

Kingsada’s story is one of many, says Daosavanh, that shows how much reading habits at at Lakhonepheng Complete Primary School have changed over the past few years. “Many teachers say to me that it must be hard to wear two hats at the same time—to teach as well as to take responsibility on the library operation,” she says. “To tell the truth, I don’t feel that at all, because I can see the dramatic improvement of my students reading skills since we have the library.”

Learn more about how other Room to Read libraries are doing based on the findings of our School Library Post-Completion Study.

New Library Starts Reading Revolution at Nonhinehae Complete Primary School

Nonhinehae Complete Primary School sits in the urban center of one of Laos’s southernmost provinces. With a relatively large population of 412 students, finding enough resources to serve the entire student body is a constant challenge, so in 2011 the school’s headmaster was delighted to begin the year with an announcement. “It is with great happiness and pride that I tell you,” he began, “that soon we will have a new library at our school.”

After the announcement, students and teachers alike were abuzz with anticipation. As the books and materials began to arrive later in the year, many students volunteered to lend a hand with the library setup, eager to start checking out books immediately.

Since the library’s inauguration, it has been packed at all hours. During their designated class time, students can be found perusing the shelves for their favorite book with tenacity—clambering to check it out in time. After school, it has become a common sight for groups of children to sit together in under the shade of a tree until 6:00 or 7:00 at night devouring new titles.

“This is the most excited I have ever seen the students in my entire teaching career,” says the school’s teacher-librarian, who notes that class discussions have gotten more lively since his pupils have started to read more on their own.

“When I was growing up, books were scarce—especially in remote areas,” says another teacher. “Most of the time we had to share one book among the entire class.”

Beyond the observations of the school’s staff, our team got a firsthand account of the library’s impact at Nonhinehae Complete Primary School during a recent follow-up visit. “Thank you for the nice library!” said one eager young student. “I really love reading there with my friends.”

Learn more about our School Libraries program.

Hard Work and Entrepreneurship Help Vonechay Stay at the Top of Her Class

By any definition, 18-year-old Vonechay is the picture of success. Poised to graduate secondary school this month as part of her school’s “Talent Class” (a group of the region’s highest-performing students), she also helps support her family through her own tailoring business.  

Perhaps even more impressive than her long list of accomplishments though, is the transformation Vonechay has undergone over the past five years since joining our Girls’ Education program.

The second of four daughters in her family, Vonechay’s life changed drastically when her father, a soldier in the Lao army, was injured and became unable to work. After her mother stepped in, Vonechay and her sisters were under enormous pressure to contribute to the family’s income, and worried they would not be able to continue on in school. “I was very stubborn,” says their mother. “I expected my daughters to prioritize working in the fields above other activities.”

Thankfully, Vonechay was admitted into Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program, alleviating some of the financial strain on her family. With the encouragement of her social mobilizer and the rest of our Girls’ Education team, Vonechay excelled in school, making time for every life skills training session and extra tutoring to keep her grades up.  As time went on, her self confidence and fierce determination only grew, and Vonechay began to plan for her future after graduation. “I would like to be a tour guide who speaks excellent English and travels around the world,” she says. “The Girls’ Education program helped me discover this dream.”

Last year though, it seemed that despite all her hard work, Vonechay’s education would come to a crashing hault. A medical emergency drained her family’s savings, and as one of the eldest daughters in the family, she knew that her parents were counting on her to pitch in. Determined not to give up on her dreams, Vonechay racked her brain, seeking any possible way to avoid leaving school behind. She thought back to all she had learned at Xayabouly Secondary School and in her life skills training, and that’s when an idea came to her.

“I remembered a summer before when I had learned tailoring with some other girls from the program,” she recalls. Seizing the opportunity to stay in school, Vonechay began her own side business tailoring traditional Lao skirts for women in her village. Each finished skirt, says Vonechay, brings in 15,000 kip (about US$2), which helps feed her family and affords her the flexibility to attend classes as before.

At a recent parents’ meeting, Vonechay’s mother beamed with pride as she spoke about her daughter’s accomplishments. Admitting that she had not always been so supportive, she says she is now a staunch advocate for educating all the girls in the community. “As long as your children keep their heads up and act with self-confidence, no one can stop them,” she said firmly. “I am grateful Vonechay she did not let me stop her.”

Watch a video about our Girls’ Education program in Laos.

All gifts matched through May 31! From now through the end of May, all donations will be matched up to $150,000 by our partners, Hilton Worldwide. Honor the influential women in your life with a gift that has the power to change a generation. www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.

Elephant Mobile Library Treats Young Readers in Laos to a Day They Will Never Forget

“Elephants are coming! Elephants are coming!” Hundreds of young voices shout in chorus, the excitement palpable. But these are not just any elephants—they are four-legged libraries!

In Laos, the Asian elephant has long been a national symbol. Since ancient times, the loveable giants have been extremely useful—from battlefields to agricultural fields—but now they’ve found a new home on the endangered species list.

In an effort to both increase public awareness of the elephants’ plight and support literacy in rural communities, Room to Read Laos teamed up with two other NGOs (Action with Lao Children and ElefantAsia) as well as the local government to implement the first ever Elephant Mobile Library.

The perfect mode of delivery for remote communities, the Elephant  Mobile Library has been an instant hit. Stocked with 640 Lao-language children’s books (many featuring elephants) and supplementary educational materials, the library’s maiden voyage included four primary schools that serve more than 1,000 students in the northern province of Xaybouly.

Today, the Elephant Mobile Library has made its way to one of those very schools, greeted by hundreds of young readers. As the elephants enter the school gates, scores of students line up dutifully—eager to get a closer look at their unusual guests. With bright eyes and wide smiles, the youngest students strain to wait their turns, bouncing up and down with excitement. Our team is surprised when none of the students seem afraid of the giant creatures, carefully approaching the elephants one-by-one, and accepting a book from the “librarians” seated atop them.

The day’s events continue with literacy games, songs, storytelling circles and comprehension exercises lead by the Room to Read team, all with a focus on elephant conservation and what individuals can do to help these creatures thrive. It’s clear from the laughter ringing through the air and enthusiastic participation that for these young readers, the Elephant Mobile Library is a welcomed addition to the curriculum.

Learn more about our School Library program and other innovative in-country partnerships.

Catching up with a Girl Graduate in Laos: Bountham's Big Day

In many ways, Bountham is a typical 19-year-old girl: she loves designing clothes, dreams of traveling the world and was recently accepted to college. Her path to becoming the bright, vivacious girl she is today, however, was anything but typical.

Bountham is the second-oldest of six children from a small village in the Salavanh Province of Laos. Her father is a farmer by day, who sells ice cream in the evenings, and her mother gathers bamboo and mushrooms in the forest near their home to be sold at the village market. “I come from a family where being able to attend school was considered to be a luxury,” says Bountham, who was accepted into Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program in the seventh grade when her family could no longer afford the fees.

Focused and hard-working, Bountham not only continued her studies through graduation last June, but finished at the top of her class—placing in the top 4 percent of the 1,257 graduates in her district.

“I learned to become a confident adult from the Girls’ Education program,” she says with a smile. Charming and self-assured, she is the picture of responsibility—taking care of her younger brothers during the day, and husking rice in her spare time to contribute to the family’s income.  

“I am motivated to continue in school and get a good job so that I can provide a better life for my parents as they get older,” she tells our team, and on the day we visit her house, she is one step closer to that goal.

"Today is a very special day,” says Bountham. “I just got news that I have got admission in the Salavanh Training College.”

“I want to become a teacher and help the other girls in my village get an education,” she shares, citing her social mobilizer, Ms. Phany, as inspiration.

“Room to Read helped me to move out of the shadows of poverty—I know now that my dreams will come true.”

Meet more graduates from our Girls' Education Program.

In Honor of World Teachers' Day: Celebrating One Teacher's Success Motivating Young Readers in Laos

World Teachers' Day, celebrated each year on October 5, was established by UNESCO in 1994 to recognize the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development.

In honor of World Teachers' Day today, we bring you the story of one teacher in Laos dedicated to ensuring her students gain the literacy skills necessary to succeed in the classroom and beyond. She is one of hundreds of teachers participating in our Literacy Instruction program across Asia and Southern Africa, all of whom we celebrate today.

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In many cases, our Literacy Instruction program finds teachers a little nervous to break away from established teaching methods and experiment with something new—especially given the existing academic targets they are already working towards for the year. There are exceptions to every rule however, and Phoukham Bounthavy is one of them.

Ms. Bounthavy is a teacher at Sengsavang Complete Primary School in an urban village of northwest Laos, and since her very first Room to Read training session has been enthusiastic about participating in the program.

Having joined during the program’s pilot phase, Ms. Bounthavy was convinced right away that introducing new teaching methods into her classroom would help improve her students’ budding literacy skills.

After her training, Ms. Bounthavy returned to school, armed with colorful posters, charts, flash cards and books to help turn her classroom into a more effective learning environment. “The children took to the new curriculum like ducks to water,” she says with newfound confidence, noting that in particular the activity-based teaching kept her students engaged throughout the duration of the lesson—their hands flying in the air to answer questions.

“For me, the most important thing is that the children learn,” she told our staff when they visited her classroom.

Always eager to improve, she prodded them, “if you find that I’m not doing something correctly, please let me know—I’m not afraid of criticism.”

It wasn’t long before her willingness to try new things began paying dividends. Almost without exception, her students became more confident in their mastery of the alphabet, and seemed to enjoy their lessons more. At the end of the year when the time for student evaluations came, her class of young readers was ranked the best in the school.

“I am very happy that I was included in the Literacy Pilot program” says Ms. Bounthavy. “I have become a better instructor and now have more confidence that my students understand the lessons.”

Learn more about our Literacy Instruction program and about our work in Laos.

Six Short Weeks: Room to Read’s First Ever (Mini) Film Festival!

Over the past year, documentary filmmakers James Connolly and Rachelle Escaravage visited Room to Read projects throughout Asia. They met the children and communities that are benefitting from our programs, and recorded their stories on film.

Now those stories are the subject of six mini-documentaries, each focusing on one aspect of Room to Read’s work promoting literacy and gender equality in education. Over the next six weeks, we’ll be releasing those videos one at a time—providing you with a closer look at our programs than ever before.

The videos will take you to India, Laos, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, inside the libraries, homes, classrooms and communities of the children we serve. So grab some popcorn, press play and enjoy the show!

 Watch the videos on our website.

Guest Blog from Laos: Looking Ahead to the Next Five Years

On a recent trip to Laos, our Regional Director for Asia, Jon Beaulieu, signed a five-year agreement with the government of Laos to extend our programs there. He shares his thoughts on the experience, as well as our work in the country so far in a guest post from the field.

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Last February, I went to Laos to meet with our team on the ground there to discuss Room to Read’s Global Strategy and how it can be localized to further our partnership with the government. The goal was to find ways to make a bigger impact in the country, and the government, which is currently encouraging growth through private sector investment, was enthusiastic from the start.

What began as months of strategic planning between our local team and the Ministriy of Education, became an official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed into effect on July 28, outlining the next five years of our partnership.

It was an incredible experience working closely with the various government entities and teams on the ground to come to a consensus about our goals for the next five years, with the best interest of the children of Laos at the forefront of our discussions.

The new MoU outlines our programs and targets over the next five years, including establishing 500 libraries, building 150 schools, publishing 75 new Lao-language children’s books, and supporting the holistic education of an additional 1,500 girls.

In addition to those very specific targets, Room to read will focus on maximizing the sustainability of our investments in Laos. By partnering with communities and the government, we seek to ensure continued quality and long-term success for our programs in the country, including the 851 libraries and 172 schools we established in Room to Read Laos’ first five years of operation.

Read more about our programs in Laos.

 

Meet Inkam: Girls' Education Scholar from Laos (VIDEO)

Education changes everything. It certainly did for eleven-year-old Inkham from Oudomxay, Laos. Inkham lives with her parents, two brothers and new baby sister and has a full day of helping her mother with cooking, collecting water and chores before school even starts. Inkam loves studying Lao language and writing essays while at school, and she dreams of graduating from secondary school to attend a university. Room to Read's Girls' Education program ensures that Inkham has the supplies, tools and mentoring she needs to complete her secondary education and succeed in her dreams. Meet Inkam below, and see why investing in Inkam and others like her through our Girls' Education program can change a life.

 

All gifts matched through May 31! From now through the end of May, all donations to our Girls’ Education program will be matched up to $250,000. Honor mom -- or any other special person that has shaped your life -- by supporting the next generation of women. www.roomtoread.org/MayMatch.