5 sustainable and ethical places to volunteer in Luang Prabang, Laos

In December 2019, our team visited Luang Prabang for our Overseas Community Involvement Project. During our two weeks in the city, we spoke to many locals and searched high and low for volunteering opportunities that may pique your interest.

So why not bring more meaning and fulfilment to your future trip to Luang Prabang by visiting these places and making a difference to the lives of locals?

Big Brother Mouse

Laotian student Xai Vue wants to be the first English teacher in his rural village. But his journey to achieving his goals is a long and winding road – he has to leave his family behind in the village to pursue a higher education in the city. Xai Vue also says that juggling his studies and a part time job is equally difficult.

But despite his packed schedule, he still finds the time to learn English. Every morning, he heads to Big Brother Mouse, a place where locals practise their conversational skills with tourists.

Big Brother Mouse was started to spark interest in English literacy among Laotians and provide village children with books. Today, it has helped thousands of Laotians improve their English.

• Pop by Big Brother Mouse anytime during their opening hours to chat with students for an hour or two to help them improve their English (9 to 11 am, 5 to 7 pm)
• No special training is required.
• You can read with them, talk to them about your own country and its culture, and share anything you want.
• Donations: http://www.bigbrothermouse.com/donate.html
• The money donated will go into the provision of scholarships, accommodations for students, expansion of the school, and publishing of new books.

Big Brother Mouse Luang Prabang

Wat Nong
Phayaluangmeungchan Rd
Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
+856 071 254 937

Big Brother Mouse Vientiane

Rue Haiphong
Vientiane, Lao PDR
+856 020 5581 7258 or +856 021 264 513

For more information on Big Brother Mouse, visit:

http://www.bigbrothermouse.com/index.html

Lao Friends Hospital for Children: Friends Without A Border

Ms Anabella Coria Zavalaif travelled all the way from Mexico to Luang Prabang to work as a Director of External Relations at the Lao Friends Hospital for Children, a place she describes as “a special hospital”.

Why? The hospital has been providing pediatric services for free to reduce the mortality rates of Laotian children who die from treatable diseases due to poverty and inaccessible healthcare since 2015, she adds.

• Medical volunteers (trained medical professionals - doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical professionals, therapists, etc.)
• Volunteers are required to have some years of experience as this is a teaching hospital where the experienced volunteers will mentor Lao medical professionals.
• There’s a minimum commitment period of at least one month. No fees are required.
• Upon submission of application, the team will review your credentials, your experience, and then you will be called down for an interview.
• Non-medical volunteers and medical students are accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• Donations and fundraising projects
• The money raised will be used for the running of the hospital, including the purchase of medications and better equipment. For more information, visit https://fwab.org/donate/.
• For donation of supplies, send them to the Friends Gallery, a visitor center, in Luang Prabang. Do contact them first to understand their needs before making donations.

Lao Friends Hospital for Children

Ban Phoumork
Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
Email address: fwab@fwab.org
Phone number: (212) 691-0909

Director of External Relations

Ms. Anabella Coria Zavalaif
Ban Phoumork, Nasang Rd
P.O Box 873, Luang Prabang
Lao PDR
Tel: +856 71 254 247
Fax: +856 71 211 071
Mobile: +856 20 9993 4960
E-mail: relations@fwablaos.org

For more information on LFHC, visit:

https://fwab.org/laos/

Keep Helping Each Other

When monk Somkiet Siyargionsar Obee visited a rural village in Oudomxay, he learnt that many children did not go to school because their parents believed that education was unimportant.

When he returned, he started Keep Helping Each Other (KHEO), a non-profit project that aims to spread literacy amongst youth in the rural and poverty-stricken areas of Laos by delivering school supplies and other useful resources to the schools.

His passion project is one that he is very excited to share about. When WeeVo visited the Wat Siphoutthabath Temple to talk about KHEO, Monk Obee ran out of the temple to meet us, and was smiling from ear to ear throughout.

• Volunteers are able to offer their help in any capacity they like.
• You can contribute any skills or talents you have, such as the English language or sports. You could also facilitate games and activities.
• Volunteers will have a chat with the team at KHEO upon applying to be a volunteer, to discuss what are the best ways in which they can contribute to the organisation.
• Volunteers will be invited on short trips to the rural villages with Monk Obee to teach them English and any skills they discussed beforehand. They will also deliver the books and donated items over.
• No fees required; flexible commitment period.
• Assist in the purchase, collection, and delivering of school supplies for the schools.
• No fees required; flexible commitment period.
• Donations
• All the donated money will be used for the purchase of school supplies, uniforms, and recreational equipment required by the school children.
• You’re also welcome to send good quality school/sports supplies regardless of whether they’re new or used.
• You may also provide your assistance in the form of suggestions to expand KHEO and facilitate its progress, so that it can reach out to more children effectively.

Keep Helping Each Other

Wat Siphoutthabath Temple
Ban Xieng Muan, Sisavangvong Road
Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
Phone: +856 20 77 827 486
Email: kiedlpb@gmail.com

For more information on KHEO, visit:

http://www.keephelpingeachother.info/

@ My Library

@ My Library is no regular library.

The small two-storey building has every corner decorated with creative works done by students who frequent the library.

Here, students are able to develop their interests and talents in many skills, such as music and photography, with the help of experienced mentors. In fact, a young teenager who first developed his passion for painting at the library went on to represent Laos in a painting competition in Japan.

• Volunteers can initiate projects alone or as a group to teach the students a skill in a hands-on and interactive manner
• They’re in need of volunteers who are able to teach Mathematics and Science or life skills such as critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork.
• Volunteers are to contact the library to discuss the feasibility of their project ideas first.
• No fees required; flexible commitment period.
• Donations are highly encouraged
• The money will pay for the electricity, the salaries of the teachers, and the resources purchased for the students.

@ My Library

Located on the lane opposite Wat Visoun/Aham on the way to Utopia, Ban Aphai, Luang Prabang, Laos. Look for the blue fence on the left and the sign.

Email: info@thelanguageproject.org
Mailing address: The Language Project, PO Box 905, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
Phone number: +856 20 56 970 139

For more information on @ My Library, visit:

http://www.thelanguageproject.org/index.php/the-libraries/my-library-luang-prabang

Laos Educational Opportunities Trust

In a country where many English language centres offer lessons at exorbitant prices, Laos Educational Opportunities Trust (LEOT) school is doing quite the opposite.

They are closing the inequality gap by providing underprivileged students the opportunity to learn English and computer skills for free. The teacher shares that LEOT has become a place of comfort and familiarity for both teachers and students here.

• While volunteers are not offered teaching opportunities, if they are qualified teachers, they can be teaching assistants or mentors for the Lao teachers at LEOT.
• To apply to be a Computer Studies volunteer, you’ll need IT skills (Word, Excel, Internet etc.)
• Participate in conversation practices with the students
• Volunteers can contact the organisation via email to ask if they can teach the students their unique skills.
• No fees required; flexible commitment period.
• Donations
• You can donate books, resources, and money. The money goes into school maintenance costs, school improvement costs, community projects, educational scholarships, and school equipment and resources. Volunteers can even donate bicycles for the students to travel to and from LEOT.

Laos Educational Opportunities Trust

PO Box 615, The LEOT School, Ban Phanluang, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
Phone number: +856 30 988 7088
Email: info@leot.org.uk

For more information on LEOT, visit:

www.leot.org.uk

If you’re interested in volunteering at other similar organisations in Laos, do take note of the following pointers:

Firstly, check that the organisation is a legitimate charity. Most charities can be found on https://www.guidestar.org/, https://directoryofngos.org/, or https://www.workaway.info/.

However, smaller charities such as Keep Helping Each Other (KHEO) may not be listed on such websites. Red flags and tell-tale signs of illegitimate organisations include having to pay a high fee to volunteer.

Secondly, think about the ethical implications and sustainability of the project you are volunteering in. Are you making the beneficiaries more dependent on volunteers, or is there a better way to empower them?

Thirdly, it has been recommended that you volunteer through organisations such as Travel-to-teach and OpenMind Project. If you intend to volunteer on your own, it is advised not to mention that you are in Laos to volunteer, since most volunteers are in Laos on a tourist visa.

We hope the information we’ve provided can help you in making a difference. ∎