About Us
Our belief
World Vision Laos is a Christian grassroots humanitarian organization working through development, relief, and advocacy, to create lasting change in the lives of children, their families and communities living in poverty and injustice. World Vision Laos serves all people regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity or gender.
Our history
World Vision started working in the country in 1968 through relief assistance provided to people displaced by the Indo-China War. The organization closed in 1975 and reopened in 1991, resuming development work that focuses on improving the lives of vulnerable children.
From 1999, with a New vision and a development strategy, World Vision committed to its mission through its development vehicle called Area Development Programme. The first area development programme was in XiengNgen.
We believe Lao children represent hope for the nation’s future and World Vision works along with the Government and Communities, ensuring the wellbeing of children, especially the rural children, through a development approach focused on education, health, child protection, and economic growth/food security.
In 2013, we launched a three-year strategy focusing on supporting vulnerable children and their families. This new national strategy focused on contributing to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG). More than 200,000 Lao children have benefited from programmes or policy improvements as a result of our work.
How we work
Our strategic goal is to contribute to the measurable improvement in the well-being of the most Lao vulnerable children and to improve the quality of life for their households and communities.
We aim to empower the communities we serve to take part in building a “fullness of life” future for their children, and the will to carry out the work that transforms community members, making families stronger.
By focusing primarily on Nutrition and Education, our Projects seek to improve the whole community access to those life’s basic essentials.
Our Projects emphasize:
- the needs of the most vulnerable children
- long-term viability and sustainability through community engagement and ownership
- gender equality
- disability inclusion
- advocacy
- transformational development
We are committed to best-practice governance processes, to efficiency and effectiveness, to preventing the exploitation of the people we serve, and to engaging the Government, civil societies, corporate sector as well as the public.
While we might initiate a project or be invited, our work is always dependent on the consent of the communities involved. We are only a partner in this process: we provide a safety net, technical support and finance. It is people themselves working towards their own development.
Where we work
WVI-Laos is operating in more than 250 villages across 21 districts in 7 provinces of Laos in FY19-21. Namely LuangPrabang, Khammouane, Savannakhet, Saravane, Champassak, Attapeu, and Vientiane. With Policy and advocacy engagement at Vientiane Province and Programme implementation in 6 provinces. 13 out of 21 districts are implementing Nutrition and Education Technical programmes. While 8 districts World Vision has specific Nutrition grants Programme (AHAN). All World Vision programmes are district-level partnerships with the government of Laos, targeting villages in districts where children are affected by the impact of poverty.
WVL Operation Map:
Seven provinces: LuangPrabang, Khammouane, Savanakhet, Saravan, Champassak, Attapeu and Vientiane.
The activities include mother-child nutrition and health, School Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programs, education, infrastructure development such as schools, Unlock Literacy to improve reading skills for the student in Grades 1-3 of primary school, health Facility, livelihoods development, child protection programs and other programs intended to improve child well-being