March 29, 2010: Ban Xai, Xieng Khuang province, Lao PDR – When 10-year-old Mai and her brother Eu finished the second grade last year, they were faced with a difficult question.  

The nearest school offering Grade 3 was eight kilometres of hilly, often muddy, trails away. It would take at least an hour each way by bicycle, more on foot. They had to wonder if it was worth it.

Caption: Children perform a dance during the inauguration ceremony for the new school in Ban Xai. The school is one of 120 new schools built since 2007 with support from Aeon and UNICEF.

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Photograph: Children from Nyot Ou district, Phongsaly, play under a new water tap. 
Tom Greenwood / UNICEF 2009

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Provision of primary school education is recognized worldwide as a critical contributing factor in national and human development. The Government of Lao PDR (GoL) is committed to achieving universal, good quality primary education for all children by 2015. In its holistic approach to schooling, named Schools of Quality, the Gol is working towards this goal. In the report Schools of Quality in Lao PDR ways of further increasing the understanding for enhancing basic education in Lao PDR are presented. 

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Vientiane, December 4, 2009: Communities hit by the floods that swept parts of southern Lao PDR following Typhoon Ketsana last September will be the beneficiaries of $300,000 in emergency aid provided by the United States government to UNICEF.

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Vientiane, October 16 2009: The trail of destruction left by typhoon Ketsana when it struck southern Laos on the night of September 30th is only now becoming fully apparent. Read more 

Vientiane’s boat race festival this week saw throngs of people gathered on the Mekong river banks celebrating the end of Buddhist Lent in Laos and cheering their favorite boats. But with the continued threat of the pandemic influenza 2009 virus still lingering, event organizers and government health workers made extra efforts to ensure the crowds were well informed of proper prevention measures. 

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Vientiane – 28 September 2009:   The Lao Government and its international partners have launched an intensive campaign aimed at raising the country’s rates of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for children aged 0 to 6 months. The campaign is part of the Government’s renewed commitments to meeting its Millennium Development Goals related to child survival and maternal health.

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