Lao

CIDSE-Laos

Law Dissemination for Communities Programme

We began working with CIDSE in Laos through APHD (Asia Parnership for Human Development now merged with Caritas Asia). In 2005 we moved to directly partner CIDSE-Laos. They provide community legal volunteers to teach knowledge of land and natural resource management laws to communities in 20 pilot villages. Both local government officials and villagers are better informed about their rights to farm land, over companies and investors given large land concessions. No land is individually owned in Lao.

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NORMAI

Integrated Community Development – Atsaphone district

In 2008 CIDSE-Laos handed management of village level programmes in rural Lao to NORMAI (Non Profit Association for Rural Mobilisation and Improvement). This programme continues to strengthen community self-organisation for food, health and education in 12 remote villages.   In 2010, 38 percent more farmers were using organic fertilisers and 43 percent more cattle were vaccinated. Parent committees have strengthened village schools, and village health volunteers ran sessions on basic health education.

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Spirit in Education Movement (SEM)/Lao Buddhism for Development

Grassroots Leadership Programme

This project strengthens development of Lao grassroots leaders. It does this through dialogue and leadership training in areas such as social justice, ecological sustainability and cultural integrity. A pilot was trialled in three districts in which community development committees were established to identify small projects that communities can implement and sustain themselves. We have supported this programme since 2005.

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