Early in 2012, ChildFund was just getting started with the first development programs in Nonghet District, Laos. There were plenty of problems to tackle.
Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. There are unexploded bombs littering the countryside in Nonghet, which has compounded the impacts of poverty. There is limited arable land, leaving children without safe places, endangering both play and household chores.
Schools are extremely run down, resulting in poor attendance from children with very few learning aids to capture their imagination. Homes do not have toilets, meaning children just use the bush, putting them at risk of disease and fearful of accidentally setting off an unexploded bomb. Finding water for the family has been an on-going challenge for children; in the wet season streams are located near dangerous cliffs and, in the dry season, the nearest available water can be a couple of hours walk away. Farmers are restricted due to unexploded bombs limiting safe land to grow crops and raise animals. Food supplies are inadequate, and children lack the nutrition they need to grow up healthy and strong.
Donations to the Children of Nonghet Appeal helped kick start initial programs aimed at making a difference for children and the Nonghet community. Since 2012, the team in Laos has been hard at work and conditions have already greatly improved for children in Nonghet.
Thanks to our incredible supporters, you have helped us achieve the following:
- 6 local schools have been repaired and 26 new classrooms are under construction. Bright schoolbooks, globes and posters have arrived and children are now excited to go to school. There are now enough classrooms for everyone and the roof doesn’t let the rain in!
- 5 community water tanks have been constructed, 163 households have had latrines installed and over 1,500 children have taken part in fun training sessions on hand washing and sanitary practices.
- 3 local health centres have been repainted, repaired and provided with up to date medical supplies.
- Local farmers have learnt which crops are best to grow and which livestock will thrive in the mountainous terrain.
- 29 community members have also received veterinary training, which will help the farmers care effectively for their animals.
ChildFund Australia has been working in Laos for close to four years and made a decision to start using sport in our work two years ago. The role of sport is often overlooked in development, but we see it as a high-quality, low-cost tool that can be used to promote child protection, rights and participation in a fun way for kids, while also providing educational and health benefits.
We’re currently teaming with Sport Matters and the Lao Rugby Federation on a project that incorporates sport and play for over 5,000 children and youth in rural Laos. The lack of appropriate play and sporting facilities and services was identified by children in the area, and is strongly linked by children and their communities with wider issues of healthy living and the negative effect of drug, tobacco and alcohol use.
The project began by introducing 52 local youths to sport and play for the first time and subsequently training them as youth leaders. Apart from learning how to lead sport and play sessions in their village, they also learned how to use sport as a tool to encourage children and young people to speak up about issues that are important to them.
The project has been particularly successful in getting girls involved in organised sport. In March, over 120 girls from 10 ChildFund-supported villages in Nonghet district gathered at a local high school for a tag rugby tournament to celebrate International Women’s Day. Coaches from the Lao Rugby Federation and local youth leaders worked together to coordinate the tournament.
Rallying under the slogans of “I am a girl, I can play!” and “I am a girl, I am strong!” in the three local languages of Lao, H`mong and Khmu, these young girls and women showed tenacity and heart in their first competition. Participants also learned valuable lessons including sportsmanship, respect for opponents, communication, teamwork and conflict resolution.
This competition marked the first time these young women had represented their villages in any type of formal sports tournament, leaving each participant and village with much to be proud of. After a long day where 10 teams competed in 25 matches, Houayzouang village took home victory!
The day drew to a close with a shared meal and awards ceremony, where each village was given materials to make a banner with their own slogan reflecting the role of sport in empowering girls and women in their villages.
The Lao Rugby Federation will soon return to Nonghet to work with youth leaders again to organise a joint tournament for boys’ and girls’ teams in celebration of Lao New Year.
