Excitement as LEOT Launches Three New Community Projects

16 hours ago

2 min read

September marks the end of the monsoon season – and the start of three new community projects for LEOT. Community Building Manager Bounniew has agreed and started work on three school improvement projects around Luang Prabang and in Chomphet District.

1. New Classrooms and Toilets for Sobeck Primary School

The most ambitious project is the construction of a new five-classroom building and toilet block for Sobeck Primary School, north of Luang Prabang.

After agreeing a plan with the Department of Education, Niew signed a cooperation agreement with local village leaders, and a construction contract with LEOT’s builder.

When we visited the site, we found work well under way:

The toilet block is almost complete.
The foundations of the main classroom building are in place.
Builders are now working on the reinforced concrete pillars that will support the roof beams.

The project is ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed by the end of November.

2. Refurbishing Na Ang School, Chomphet District

The second project is at Na Ang School in Chomphet District. The school is relatively easy to reach, being only a short distance from the main road.

When we first arrived – on a public holiday – we were shocked by what we found:

The school grounds were dirty, with lots of rubbish scattered outside.
Classrooms were full of discarded items and had not been swept.
We were told that villagers are very poor and unable to pay for repairs, but it was still disappointing to see so little effort to keep the school tidy.

We met with the school director and explained that LEOT would help with repairs, but the village must first carry out basic cleaning of the site.

The response was immediate. The very next day, a large team of local villagers came to the school, cleared all the rubbish and cleaned the classrooms thoroughly.

When we returned the following day work had already started and the old leaking roof was being replaced.

Refurbishment is planned to be completed by early November.

3. Supporting Houaypong Village School

Our third project is in Houaypong Village, also in Chomphet District. The school is much harder to reach, accessible only by a long, dusty track from the main road.

The school sits at the top of a hill at the end of the village. When we arrived, we were greeted by:

a group of smiling children, eager to play a shouting game, and
a very welcoming school director, keen to cooperate.

As we walked around, we saw that:

The school buildings and furniture were old,
but everything was neat, tidy and regularly cleaned.

The children called to us, wanting to play, but first we needed to complete our inspection of the classrooms. Afterwards, we thanked the school director and enjoyed a short game with the children before leaving.

Repair work at Houaypong School will begin before the end of September.