What we do

Help us to make a major difference to a young person’s life and career

Lao Educational Opportunities Trust

Registered Charity Number: 1115944

What we do...

The Dual Approach

We originally started off by sponsoring individual students to go onto further education, but have now grown sufficiently to develop our own school - the LEOT English Learning Centre (LELC).

Sponsorship

We are now sponsoring over twenty students at colleges and universities (see Students for more details). We select suitable applicants (generally between the ages of 18 and 27) and pay for fees, travel costs, books and other learning requirements, uniforms and sometimes living expenses may also be provided. Most of the students are sponsored through the funds that we raise from our supporters but we also have a number who are sponsored on an individual basis, and where we act as the administrator (see Sponsorship for more details).

LEOT English Learning Centre (LELC)

This will be located in a purpose designed building on the outskirts of the Luang Prabang Heritage Zone, in the village of Phanluang. LELC will offer high quality English language and associated teaching to those who cannot afford the fees being charged by commercial language schools. The academic focus will be on speaking and listening skills, and developing students’ confidence in using a foreign language. Native English speaking volunteers will be used to supplement core teaching staff. We have a planned opening date for the Centre of September 2012. We believe that we can give educational support to a greater number of students (80 or more a year) than would otherwise be possible, by setting the school up and running it ourselves.

(See School for more details)

Fund Raising - We do not employ professional fund raisers like the main charities. We spend our own recreational time trying to raise money. We want to spend as little money as possible raising funds and as much as possible on the students themselves.

and finally....

Please help us...

Our fundamental aim is to raise and administer funds to provide disadvantaged young people in Laos with educational opportunities.

The Gap

Whilst there are many organisations which seek to support education at the primary and secondary levels, we believe that a substantial gap exists for many young people who, on leaving school, are then unable to progress further because they lack the funds to pay for the college or university course that they need to attend so as to be able to get meaningful employment on completion of the course. Going back to work on the family farm is probably their only option. A decent job means that they can support not only themselves but contribute towards their family and help in improving the general standard of living. LEOT tries to bridge the gap.

No family money = no college = no job

The future? Pictures courtesy of Paul Wager