Room to Read Blog

Room to Read Staffer Shares Her Experiences from a Recent Trip to Laos

March 2009

In the two years I've spent working at Room to Read, one of the most common questions I encounter is whether I've seen any of Room to Read's projects firsthand. In February I was fortunate enough to be able to do just that when I travelled to Laos to work with our amazing team there. Over the course of seven days, we visited six projects around the country, including several schools and libraries that Room to Read has built, as well as meeting some of the scholars in our Girls' Education Program.

Although I was only in Laos for a short time, I have so many wonderful memories and stories from my travels there. Not surprisingly, the best moments were often the least expected - like the impromptu parade of students, parents, and teachers that followed us through the streets of a remote rural village (accompanied by the village band!) after we visited a secondary school that Room to Read is constructing there. Or the students at an ethnic boarding school who have to sleep on hard wooden boards in hot, crowded dormitories without air conditioning, but who welcomed us into their dormitory with big, warm smiles and proudly showed off their reading skills in their school library. Or perhaps my favorite memory from the week, the scholar in our Girls' Education Program who grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go after she and 53 of her fellow scholars performed a traditional Baci ceremony for us. I'm still wearing the white string she put on my wrist as part of the ceremony.

I went to Laos confident that Room to Read is making a positive difference in the lives of children in the developing world, but I lacked the firsthand stories and experiences to help convey that belief to others. After my time in Laos, I now have countless stories to share. I am more confident than ever that Room to Read is doing essential work to improve the lives of children and their communities through education - and even more keenly aware that we still have a lot of work to do.

A Laos Village Literally Moves a School to Make Room for a New One

Having dreamt of a new school for quite some time, the community in Phoa village, Salavan province, Laos, was eager to partner with Room to Read so that their dream would become a reality. When Room to Read visited the community, the villagers articulated some of the potential problems of building a new school, but committed to doing everything they could to help with the construction of a new, high quality school.

Unfortunately, a major roadblock stood in the way. It was determined that the only site appropriate for the new school was occupied by the old school. Since the community wanted the children to continue to attend school while the new school was being built, the old school had to be moved to a new site (and would eventually be torn down). The Room to Read staff asked an elder man in the village how they might move the school but keep it intact. The older man replied, "It's not difficult to do, but more than 100 people are needed and it will take about two to three hours."

On the day when the old school had to be moved, more than 100 villagers gathered at the site. Together they lifted the three old school buildings to clear space for the new school to be built. This is an amazing example of the spirit, passion, and commitment of the local people with whom we work and their desire to provide a better education for their children.

This year, the efforts of the village paid off, as their new school was completed in January. As you can see in the photo below, the students are quite excited about the new school.