World Book Day, 23rd April, is a yearly event created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate reading, publishing and copyright. Each year, organizations, universities, institutions, schools, communities, publishers and writers all around the world celebrate the day by reading and sharing books

BEQUAL, a program led by the Government of Lao PDR with support from the Government of Australia and the European Union, is working to help more girls and boys, especially the most disadvantaged, to complete a quality basic education

Lauren is one of the four winners of the European Union Face2Hearts project

Many young Lao girls do not attend school due to their family’s financial status, and distance from school. Moreover, culturally, some families believe girls should stay at home to do housework and raise their younger siblings. Some parents do not understand the importance of education

Many people in my village speak only their ethnic language and can’t understand Lao. This could become really challenging when they need to communicate with people outside our community.  When sick, they will need to find someone speaking Lao to go to the hospital and help with translation. They will have to pay for transportation and food for the translator. This is one of the many examples why we should encourage and support our children to study Lao language and learn to become independent”

Australia’s new Ambassador to Lao PDR, Mr Jean-Bernard Carrasco, made his first regional visit to Savannakhet Province on 26-28 February. Ambassador Carrasco called on Savannakhet Governor, HE Mr Santiphab Phomvihane, to discuss Savannakhet Province’s economic and social development progress

27th February is World Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Day. Each year, this date is celebrated by communities, leaders, diplomats, and many organisations around the world, acknowledging and promoting the important work of these organisations

Like Noung Gu Lhao, Jue Lee and Por Ju, many children in Lao PDR are not going to school; they are not able to read or write, neither are they able to develop life skills necessary for socialising with friends of their own age. They are not prepared for a better future for themselves and their families

Australia recently conducted a mid-term review of BEQUAL to reflect on progress and lessons learned from the first two years. Interim findings highlight the significant work that has already been undertaken and identify opportunities to ensure our joint efforts continue to reach the most educationally disadvantaged children