Photo credit: Aide et Action
In Laos, Aide et Action's education projects are temporarily suspended due to school closures during the Coronavirus pandemic. In order to respond to the health crisis, our teams are working with local authorities to provide vulnerable populations with disinfectant, masks and educational posters to help prevent the spread of the virus.
While the containment measures seem to have proved their effectiveness on the spread of the virus, Laos remains a country at risk as it lacks medical staff and equipment to deal with the crisis. In this context, Aide et Action's teams are working to identify the needs of the population.
A lack of equipment during lockdown
Due to the containment, all Laotians have been advised to stay at home as much as possible and practice good hygiene, including regular hand washing and wearing masks outside the home. However, supplies such as disinfectant and masks are hard to find. In communities across the country, village leaders and MPs are forming working groups to try to implement these health measures, but many lack the necessary materials to do so safely.
Meeting people's needs
On April 22, Aide et Action launched specific activities to meet this need, with the approval of the Laotian government. Thus, our teams will distribute the necessary sanitary supplies in 19 villages in Vientiane province, as well as in Odomxay province. In total, 81 bottles of hand sanitiser, 2,550 masks and 400 educational posters have been distributed.
" We need to make the villagers understand information about hygiene and sanitation and how it can protect them from viruses. In this, the supplies distributed by Aide et Action can help ussays Jong Xua, vice-chief of Nongpor village in Vientiane province. We also need to help children continue their learning by following the materials published by the Ministry of Education and Sport. "
Education and solidarity can change everything
To promote continued access to education in Laos, Aide et Action has also submitted an updated version of its digital learning application to the Ministry of Education and Sports, pending approval. Finally, in order to prepare children and teachers for the return to school, we are also planning training sessions for teachers, with an increased focus on hygiene education in schools. We are convinced that education and solidarity can change lives.
