Laos
Full country name: Lao People's Democratic Republic
Area: 236,000 square kilometres
Population: 4.75 million (2.9% annual growth rate)
Capital city: Vientiane (population 300,000)
People: 50-60% Lao Loum (lowland Lao, including many Lao and Tai ethnic groups), 30% Lao Theung (lower-mountain dwellers of mostly proto-Malay or Mon-Khmer descent), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong, Mien and other upper-mountain ethnic groups)
Language: Lao and over 50 local languages and dialects, French and English
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% Animist
Current Focus and Concerns
The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is one of the world's least developed countries, with the overwhelming majority of the population residing in rural areas. Health care and medical services remain very poor throughout the country. An estimated 43 percent of the population is illiterate, and malnutrition levels are very high. The Lao PDR is one of the countries most seriously affected by the American War on Indochina. The southern and eastern regions, in particular, were heavily bombarded, and remain severely contaminated with UXO, or unexploded ordnance. Although currently underway, de-mining operations are only beginning to address this problem.
Soon after the fall of the old regime in 1975, terre des hommes Germany began helping the new government through relief assistance. In the early 1990's, TDH became more involved in supporting development programmes in remote areas of the southern provinces of Salavan and Attapeu. Currently, the efforts are located in Salavan Province, where the majority of the population are members of ethnic minority groups and maintain a very traditional way of life.
TDH partners with the international NGO Village Focus International and Lao Government counterparts, especially the Department of Non-formal Education and the Lao Women’s Union. Major activities include:
- Community-based education for ethnic minorities, where participatory learning processes, including Lao literacy, are incorporated within development projects based on local needs in different communities.
- Health education activities, such as the prevention of malaria and intestinal disorders, etc., and access to clean water.
- Food security through agricultural projects.
- Supporting the construction of simple schools for children, together with community contributions of labour and locally available materials.
- Establishing Community Learning Centres (CLCs) and small library cases in order to encourage villagers' reading.
Recently, TDH and its partner organisation has expanded work to more remote areas of Salavan near the Vietnamese border, where there is little or no access to government services, as well as significant amounts of remaining UXO.
Area: 236,000 square kilometres
Population: 4.75 million (2.9% annual growth rate)
Capital city: Vientiane (population 300,000)
People: 50-60% Lao Loum (lowland Lao, including many Lao and Tai ethnic groups), 30% Lao Theung (lower-mountain dwellers of mostly proto-Malay or Mon-Khmer descent), 10-20% Lao Sung (Hmong, Mien and other upper-mountain ethnic groups)
Language: Lao and over 50 local languages and dialects, French and English
Religion: 85% Buddhist, 15% Animist
Current Focus and Concerns
The Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is one of the world's least developed countries, with the overwhelming majority of the population residing in rural areas. Health care and medical services remain very poor throughout the country. An estimated 43 percent of the population is illiterate, and malnutrition levels are very high. The Lao PDR is one of the countries most seriously affected by the American War on Indochina. The southern and eastern regions, in particular, were heavily bombarded, and remain severely contaminated with UXO, or unexploded ordnance. Although currently underway, de-mining operations are only beginning to address this problem.
Soon after the fall of the old regime in 1975, terre des hommes Germany began helping the new government through relief assistance. In the early 1990's, TDH became more involved in supporting development programmes in remote areas of the southern provinces of Salavan and Attapeu. Currently, the efforts are located in Salavan Province, where the majority of the population are members of ethnic minority groups and maintain a very traditional way of life.
TDH partners with the international NGO Village Focus International and Lao Government counterparts, especially the Department of Non-formal Education and the Lao Women’s Union. Major activities include:
- Community-based education for ethnic minorities, where participatory learning processes, including Lao literacy, are incorporated within development projects based on local needs in different communities.
- Health education activities, such as the prevention of malaria and intestinal disorders, etc., and access to clean water.
- Food security through agricultural projects.
- Supporting the construction of simple schools for children, together with community contributions of labour and locally available materials.
- Establishing Community Learning Centres (CLCs) and small library cases in order to encourage villagers' reading.
Recently, TDH and its partner organisation has expanded work to more remote areas of Salavan near the Vietnamese border, where there is little or no access to government services, as well as significant amounts of remaining UXO.
