What we do
Plan’s work in Laos covers 3 core areas, all of which are rooted in the rights of the child:
- early childhood education and development
- basic education and child protection
- water, sanitation, and hygiene
- health and nutrition
- building relationships.
Early childhood education and development
Plan works closely with government education services, to support early childhood education, including:
- helping communities to improve pre-schools
- training pre-school teachers in stimulating and enjoyable teaching methods
- provision of books, educational and play materials, desks and equipment
- curriculum development for a short in-service course for pre-school teachers
- increasing awareness amongst key decision-makers at national level of the importance of early childhood education.
Basic education and child protection
Plan works to ensure primary school children develop knowledge, skills, and behaviours to develop to their full potential in safe and stimulating schools through:
- training teachers on ‘positive discipline’ alternatives to physical or emotional punishment
- providing school materials, teaching aids, and classroom equipments and furniture
- providing ‘scholarships’ to enable the poorest children to enter and complete education, especially girls and children from ethnic groups
- training school and village committees on child protection
- improving school water, sanitation, and hygiene
Water, sanitation, and hygiene
Plan is preparing for activities including:
- strengthening communities’ capacity to improve their own health situation through community managed improvements to the sanitation, hygiene and water conditions
- fostering empowerment of women and girls, especially in relation to decision making about water, sanitation and hygiene
- strengthening the capacity of provincial and district government to meet their obligations to ensure safe water and sanitation
Health and nutrition
Plan is working on designing long-term interventions including:
- strengthening the capacity of government officials and village trainers to conduct village level nutrition training
- providing materials on basic nutrition to government and communities
- supporting parents and caregivers in strengthening their knowledge on nutrition
- promoting the knowledge on nutrition among parents and caregivers to prepare healthier food for children
Building relationships
Plan started sponsorship enrollment in Laos in 2008. Supporters can sponsor children in Bokeo Province to help Plan's work for all the children in its poorest districts. The relationship between a sponsor and the sponsored child is built and strengthened through visits, letters, and updates on project developments and how they are benefiting the child and their community.
