World Vision Project Profile
Xieng Ngeun Area Development Programme
Laos
Xieng Ngeun ADP consists of the poorest communities in a
country that is economically underdeveloped. A number of small
community development projects in the area over the years have
made some inroads into improvements in health, education, water,
sanitation and alternative farming techniques to increase income.
As there is national interest in developing the very poorest areas,
World Vision is able to work with many local partners to alleviate
the living conditions of the people in a sustainable manner.
Brief Information
Impact Area Population: 10,967 people
Programme Lifespan: 2003 – 2017
Children Available for Sponsorship
(as of Nov 2015): 383
Geographical Location
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is
a largely mountainous landlocked country
surrounded by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam,
Myanmar and China. Xieng Nguen district is
in Luang Prabang province, and consists of
85 villages over 1,210 sq km.
Realities
Economic Poverty
The average income per household per year is about US$300, about 28%
below the Laotian poverty line. This translates to less than US$8.50 per
month per person. Arable land is scarce and the majority of the population
depend on farming their own land to support themselves. Transportation is
also difficult and communities are isolated and remote. Households depend
on seasonable weather for rice production. They gather forest products and
produce cash crops such as job’s tear and soybean. There is widespread
environmental degradation and deforestation because of the traditional slash
and burn method of land clearing.
Healthcare Concerns
While there is better access to clean water in recent years, health and
sanitation issues persist due to a lack of access to health centres, lack of
information and unhygienic personal habits. Only 8% of people report using
a toilet. Health problems are prevalent and the leading causes of death
for boys and girls are diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria, gastritis and
influenza. 42.9% of children under five are severely to moderately
underweight. Due to its geographic location, people in Xieng Ngeun are
unable to access health services. The healthcare system remains
underdeveloped and the quality of existing healthcare services is also low.
Around 35% of the population in the district still lack safe water and only a
limited number of households have access to sanitation facilities.
Educational Challenges
The national budget allocation to the education sector is one of the lowest
in the world at 2.3% of the GDP. Educational facilities, where available, are
in extremely poor condition and in need of rehabilitation. Only 60.2% of
children aged 5-18 years old are enrolled in formal education. Secondary
schools are too far away from villages and poor children lack opportunities
to travel. The quality of teachers is lacking and there are very few teachers in
rural areas. Even textbooks are scarce. Children from low income families,
ethnic groups and remote villages are particularly vulnerable and display
lower participation rates and lower literacy levels.
World Vision Project Profile
Xieng Ngeun Area Development Programme
Programme Goal
Children, their families and the community are able to provide for their sustainable well-being.
Key Challenges and World Vision’s Key Initiatives
Challenge: Crop failure, food insecurity and high
occurrence of livestock disease and death
Challenge: Poor condition of school facilities and
limited teaching skills of teachers
Initiative: Increase resilience and food security of
households to improve the lives of children
Initiative: Improve functional literacy and life skills of
children and adults
World Vision seeks to increase farmers’ knowledge, skills
and inputs for organic cultivation and animal husbandry
through the construction of a demonstration centre and
providing training and basic inputs like seeds. Training
is provided in partnership with the Department of
Agriculture. Animal raising groups, animal banks and rice
banks are established to improve household income and
improve food availability. To increase families’ access to
savings and credit, savings groups are formed.
To improve school facilities and skills of teachers,
additional effort is needed to strengthen child-centred
learning methods. To establish a foundation for learning,
the importance of preschool education is promoted.
Parents and children are also made aware of the value
and importance of education. The Village Education
Development Committee in each village is trained to
know how to effectively improve education in their villages.
Challenge: Poor quality of health services and
poor sanitation leading to high incidence of
communicable diseases
Initiative: Improve the health status of children and
women of reproductive age
To increase access to safe drinking water, World Vision
provides water tanks and water systems in villages and
schools. In addition, village health education campaigns are
organised to educate the community on health, hygiene,
sanitation and communicable diseases. Mobile health clinics
visit villages every three months to improve access to
healthcare and provide vaccinations for children and pre and
post-natal care for women.
Families benefit from animal husbandry training.
Challenge: Limited capacity of local leaders to effect
change
Initiative: Improve the capacity of men, women, children
and leaders to participate in the sustainable development
of their community
World Vision seeks to ensure that effective community
development structures are in place at the district level.
This includes establishing and strengthening Village
Development Committees to oversee the village
development process. World Vision promotes the
participation of women and children in community
development through the women’s union, children clubs
and youth clubs.
Through these interventions, World Vision is transforming
the lives of children and families in Xieng Ngeun, making a
difference today as well as giving them hope for the future!
Children clubs in one of the schools in Laos.
How You Can Help
Sponsor a child in Xieng Ngeun or give towards a
Gift Catalogue item, which benefits the community!
Thank you for your heart for the poor, and for making
a difference in the lives of children and families in Laos.
www.worldvision.org.sg