As we celebrate International Day of the Girl, we highlight the story of Kanna Sunivong, an inspiring young student who received a scholarship to continue her primary education and now has big dreams for her future.
In the village of BeangLuang, a small rural village surrounded by vast green rice fields in the province of Oudomxay in north-west Laos, Kanna, an 11-year-old schoolgirl, makes the 1.5 km journey to school alone every morning. Despite her young age, Kanna has taken on a great deal of responsibility. When she was just five years old, she lost her mother, forcing her to take on the household chores. She now lives with her elderly father, stepmother and 13-year-old sister in a small house with no electricity. Kanna's father and stepmother are unemployed and her sister lives with mental health problems, leaving Kanna with the burden of being the sole breadwinner. After school, Kanna worked to support her family and until the COVID-19 pandemic struck, she washed dishes in a restaurant in the evenings and at weekends. This life left her too little time to play with her friends.
The impact of school closures due to COVID-19
When the primary school in BeangLuang closed due to the pandemic, Kanna studied alone at home with no one to help her with her homework, as her father and stepmother are illiterate. Both of them dropped out of school at an early age, but they still encourage Kanna to study and realise the importance of sending their children to school. " Sending my children to school is important because I want them to have the opportunity to find a good job.l", says Xai, Kanna's father. Unfortunately, Kanna's experience is not unique.
According to Aide et Action's 2020 report on the impact of COVID-19 on education in Laos, nearly a third of primary school pupils said they had no one to teach them at home during school closures. Poverty is one of the main causes of school drop-out in Laos. According to a recent UNICEF report, based on data from the Laos Social Indicator Survey II (2017), children from the poorest households have a school completion rate of just 58 %, compared to 98% for children from the wealthiest households. Ethnic minority groups, such as Kanna's, living in poor, rural and economically disadvantaged communities are the most vulnerable and at risk of dropping out of school early.
As well as having no school support, Kanna also had no access to digital devices such as a smartphone or the internet, which prevented her from participating in online distance learning, and the lack of electricity at home meant that the hours she could read her books and learn her lessons were limited.
Fortunately, Kanna's school was able to reopen quickly because the rate of infection with COVID-19 remains low in her province, much to her delight. " If my school closed again, I would be sad not to be able to meet my friends or study with them "The little girl says she hopes her school will remain open.
A path to equal opportunities
To help pupils like Kanna, from poor, rural and economically disadvantaged communities, to stay in school, Aide et Action offers financial support linked to school fees. For the 2020-2021 school year, 64 pupils, including 50 % girls, have received the materials they need to go to school. This support is in line with Laos' 8th Education Sector Development Plan (2016-2020) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all".
For Xai, her children's education means everything and Aide et Action's support helps to ease her worries about their future. " I'm very worried about my daughters because they're still so young and I'm too old now.he explains. I'm afraid I'll die and leave them, so who'll look after them? Education is the only way to give my daughters a better future."
Aide et Action's support has enabled Kanna's family to buy all her school equipment, including her school uniform, books, a school bag, shoes and money to buy food. Relieved that his daughter will be able to continue her studies, Kanna's father now has big dreams for her future. " I dream of my children graduating from university and working for the government as civil servants on a good salary. I don't want them to be poor and work hard like we did. "says Xai.
Every child has the right to education
In Laos, Aide et Action works in collaboration with education authorities to provide support to children from marginalized communities at high risk of dropping out of school. Our action aims to improve the school environment and the learning results of pupils in 30 target schools, as well as restoring equal opportunities.
" In the future, I want to be a doctor or a teachersays Kanna enthusiastically. I want to be a doctor because doctors can treat people and it will be easy to find a job and earn a good salary, and I want to be a teacher because I like teaching students and helping them to study. ". His passion for education is already evident in the way he teaches his sister at home.
As well as giving Kanna the opportunity to learn, her regular attendance at school also allows her to socialise, play with her friends and enjoy her childhood - an opportunity every little girl should have, not just today on International Day of the Girl, but every day.
