Community Learning International Inc

First of all, many thanks for taking an interest in our organisation. It is your kind support that allows us to continue our aid projects for the disadvantaged children of Laos.

Please see our individual project fundraising pages below for more detailed information on each project (if you are reading this on Facebook please 'right click' here and open the link in a new tab, to view our profile page on the fundraising site Razoo...[if you don't open it in a new tab - the site will be displayed inside the facebook page]).

We believe that education, formal and non-formal, is key to providing a solution to development, including poverty reduction, therefore we concentrate most of our resources on children and youth – on those lives where we can have the biggest impact, the greatest return on investment, to use business language.

We work to improve the limited formal system in Laos (by building village schools, for example) and to supplement it (via our Lao Children’s Library Boats and our Learning Centers [see below*]). We also address near-term family income improvement through projects supporting local activities such as women’s weaving groups and village coffee growing.

In addition, we also carry out construction projects where they are needed, which have included dormitories, sanitation facilities, and fresh water supplies.

*Children's Library Boats: We operate 2 'book boats' that hold over 1000 books, serving over 100 villages that have little or no road access. In remote areas books are virually non existant, so at each village the children read intensively, while also taking part in learning activities, and cultural history plays.

*Learning Centers (LCs): At each of our 6 Learning Centers (to compare, Vietnam has over 8000 LCs) our dedicated staff are truely amazing and the backbone to CLI's efforts. At each LC there are over 1000 books available; Lao and English language classes are provided, in addition to life skills and learning based activities, and of course time for just fun and games. Furthermore we believe it is important to promote and help preserve local cultural heritage through traditional dances, songs and plays.

 

A quick surprisingly little known fact:

Laos also known as the 'Land of a Million Elephants' is the most heavily bombed country in the history of warfare - during the Vietnam war 2 million tons of bombs were dropped on Laos - thats one planeload every 8 minutes 24 hours a day for 9 years. It is estimated 30% never exploded, still affecting 25% of villages and severely limiting long term development. As part of CLI's efforts, we work with villagers to achieve income diversification and give access to new markets.

Please do make a donation of whatever you can afford so that we may continue our fight to help Lao children escape the poverty cycle. Thank you. After which please come and visit us on and say hi on Facebook , LinkedIn and You Tube.