Overview
Concern's work in Laos
Concern is in Laos since 1992 when its initial work was to help repatriate refugees from Thailand. Laos is an exquisitely beautiful country but much of the terrain is tough and rugged.
Concern is working with ethnic minorities, helping them to develop a sound economic footing. At present poor people can only manage to save five cent per week.
People have had little chance to manage their own resources, so Concern is building up a banking-style infrastructure that gives people the possibility of managing in a more efficient and worthwhile manner their scarce resources.
The Central Bank of Laos estimates that approximately 100,000 people have availed of the microfinance services that Concern has helped to create.
The economy in Laos is showing positive growth but there are worrying signs of a widening gap between relatively prosperous people who live in the capital and poorer people who live in villages in rural remote districts.
The government is in the process of partially opening the economy and in this context Concern is helping the fledgling indigenous non-profit making associations.
South of the capital, Vientiane, in Khammouan and Savannakhet, Concern works in conjunction with government agencies in implementing its national disaster preparedness strategy.
Gender equality is a strong part of Concern’s work in Laos. Education and awareness programmes are in place, teaching people that gender inequalities contribute to inefficiencies and therefore poverty itself.
With the elimination of these gender biases, men and women can contribute to the development of villages equally and ultimately speed up the process.
Due to an increase in tourism, trafficking, drugs and prostitution are a growing problem and this in turn is leading to a worrying increase in the AIDS statistics.
Concern is working in co-operation with the National Institute of Public Health.
