In KohnKaen village, a rural settlement in Vientiane province home to approximately 1,400 inhabitants mostly from ethnic minority groups, internet access, and smartphones are a recent, but very welcome, arrival. Souphaphone Jalernsouk borrows her parents’ smartphone whenever she can to listen to English music, even though she doesn’t understand the words yet. At just 10 […]
Stories
Vietnam: The entrepreneur shattering gender stereotypes
“It is difficult even for a man from an ethnic minority group to start a business, not to mention a woman like me but nothing can stop me from following my dream.” In the small scenic rural town of Sapa, tucked high in the mountains Vietnam’s northern Lao Cai province, 27-year-old entrepreneur Lo Thi Hanh is shattering gender stereotypes that typically […]
Laos: School meals boost children’s attendance
In the remote and rural village of Somsavath Tai village, in Vientiane province, Mrs. Thord, a 54-year-old farmer looks after her two grandchildren while their parents work long days in the rice fields. Like many women her age, Mrs. Thord didn’t receive much of an education as a girl because among ethnic communities, cultural norms and traditions led to women marrying […]
Aide et Action Magazine: Inclusive Education, Equal Chances
Disability, ethnic origin, gender, religion … there are many obstacles to the education of millions of children around the world. Increasing access to quality education for each and everyone has been for Aide et Action’s mission for the past 40 years. We have taken action to remove barriers to participation and success for all learners, […]
Cambodia: A brighter future beckons for Sophos
“When he first started coming home from school, talking about he learnt, my husband and I were so proud of him that we would cry”. For 35-year-old Sok Seiha*, seeing her eldest son learn how to read and write was a joy like no other. At just seven years old, she had to drop out of school to […]
Vietnam: Bridging learning gaps during Covid-19
So far this year, due to the impact of the COVID pandemic, many of the families we work with in Vietnam have lost their jobs because of restrictions on movement, travel, and trade and lost their harvest season due to weather disasters, all of which have pushed them further into poverty. In Vay Nua commune, […]
Burkina Faso: Education offers opportunities for 2,000 marginalised girls
In the Center-West region, as in other regions of Burkina Faso, socio-cultural constraints limit education for girls. Through the Girls’ Schooling project (SCOLFILLE), Aide et Action and L’Occitane Foundation have partnered to strengthen access and completion of primary school for 2,000 girls. In partnership with L’Occitane Foundation, Aide et Action is proud to implement the […]
Cambodia: Children at risk of exploitation during school closures
In Cambodia, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the domestic labour responsibilities of children and as prolonged school closures continue, the risk of children being subject child-labour is likely to rise. In Cambodia’s northwestern city of Poipet, 17-year-old Seiha* was looking forward to returning to school when her school reopened after six months of closures in […]