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Imagine going to a school with no toilet and little protection against unpleasant weather, having to travel long distances every day just to get there, or not going to school at all because the nearest one is too far away. This is the reality for many children in Laos, including the children of Ban Naka village in Xam Neua Province. If you love travelling in Southeast Asia but still haven’t heard of this part of Laos, it’s one of the least visited by Western tourists. There is also very little NGO activity apart from the Tukata Foundation.

Currently, there are 57 kindergarten and primary school-aged children in Ban Naka. This village is so remote that accessing a modern school, with concrete walls and a bathroom, requires crossing a river by boat. There is no road for cars or trucks. Children in secondary school travel by boat, but this is much more difficult and dangerous for a four or five-year-old child.

Current school structure in Ban Naka, Xam Nuea, Lao PDR

The Tukata Foundation helps remote schools in Xam Neua with construction, educational supplies, children’s clothing and other important resources. Even though public schools have little to no enrollment costs, school supplies can be very expensive for rural parents. The Tukata Foundation works with the villages and their chiefs to determine what each community needs, often supplying clothing and blankets for harsh winters, or basic medical supplies and eye glasses.

They provide more than just material resources, however, as they help teachers to use play as an aid in learning and using knowledge, and take time to follow up with classroom visits. They have seen improved gains in academic and life skills through engaging activities, and know that education can broaden a child’s opportunities in all aspects of their life.

Now, they are aiming to build a basic kindergarten and primary school for the children in Ban Naka, with the goal of completion by June 2019. The local people of Ban Naka have kindly volunteered to provide the labour required to build their new school. However, to achieve this, they also need funds, and at Sacred by Design we are happy to help.

Sacred by Design | LOVEbomb Jewellery is proud to be a sponsor of the Tukata Foundation’s project.

As always, our Lao partner and NGO Saoban will monitor our donation and the project on our behalf and receive all necessary reports and our name will be included on a deducation plaque at the school.

Thank you to all the wonderful LOVEbomb supporters. Together we can change lives.

If you feel you can give a little, please follow this link to the Tukata Foundation.