Scholarships and Sponsorships for Laos Students

Dear Supporters, 

This year we are pleased to share that we have built upon our sponsorship program in Luang Prabang. In 2016, we have seen a large increase of sponsored students. We have sponsored a total of 68 individual students at various educational institutions in Luang Prabang and an additional 78 students received sponsorship in the form of classroom/building rental for classes.

Individual Sponsorships

• 6 students for a total of 16 terms at ADRA EnglishCentre
• 6 students for the ADRA English Centre Summer Program
• 22 students for 1 year at Mekong English Centre
• 3 students for 1 year at university
• 2 students at Chinese school
• 1 student at Korean school
• 1 student at School for the Deaf
• 15 students for 1 year at High School
• 6 students at Monk School
• 4 students for a nationally recognised computer skills course
• 1 student for 1 year at Teacher Training College
• 1 student for 1 year at Finance College

Classroom Sponsorships

• 35 young girls in our girls’ program
• 13 students aged between 14-18 from rural Laos
• An average of 30 Novice Monks

Nam Thuam Sponsorship Program

In 2016, we also began a new sponsorship program in Nam Thuam, a rural village 3 hours from Luang Prabang. This year we have sponsored 24 students from rural Laos to attend the Mekong English Centre in Nam Thuam, taking the total of GVI sponsored students to 92 in 2016!

Women's Empowerment Program

This year we launched a Women’s Empowerment Project. Between January and September 2016, through donations, we were able to rent classrooms to deliver English classes and health and life-skills workshops for the girls. We also teamed up with a loyal donor to hold a silent auction fundraiser in New York City, raising $4500USD. The majority of these funds went to purchasing bicycles for the girls. This empowers these young women to get safely and efficiently to and from school, increasing their access to educational opportunities. The remaining funds went to purchasing materials for sustainable menstrual health kits and to new desks and chairs for The Centre.

Additional Funds

• Thanks to funds generously donated during the 2016 GVI Laos Trust 5am for 5days Challenge, we were able to rent our own premises for 1 year from September 2016. This building will hold free classes for Lao students in all three of GVI Laos programs: Novice Monks, Kids and Women’s Empowerment.
• Contribute to the costs of materials for the construction of an English Centre in a rural village that is currently being built.
• We have continued to provide basic needs, medical and school supply support which allows them to seize the educational opportunities available.
• We donated large rubbish bins to a village school in support of the teachers’ push for waste management and environmental awareness.
• Finally, we purchased the Jolly Phonics reading scheme and Madeline reading scheme to be used in many of our English classes and literacy workshops.

Overall, this year has been a huge success for this project! Looking ahead, in 2017 we wish to continue to expand our sponsorship program in Luang Prabang, build on the momentum of the new sponsorship program in Nam Thuam and continue to find new and exciting ways to increase access to educational opportunities within the Lao community! We hope that you will continue to offer your generous support in the new year!

We wish you a happy and prosperous 2017!

With Gratitude, 
GVI Laos