help build dormitories in laos

If you’ve traveled with us before, or even if you just follow our adventures online, you know how passionate we are about supporting sustainable development in the communities we visit on our travels. It’s why we choose to partner with travel suppliers who share that passion for giving back. One of those partner suppliers is a company called Discova, and they’re supporting a project that we think is really worthwhile. So much so, that we’ll be supporting it, and we’d like to tell you how you can support it, as well!

In northern Laos, 84 km from Luang Prabang, students have to travel on foot for up to 4 hours to get an education. Forty-five percent of the 925 students at this high school stay in bamboo huts near campus during the school week, since they live in rural areas without adequate transportation to and from school. These bamboo huts are very small (6 square meters) and accommodate 4 students at a time. Each year the parents have to contribute labor and money to help rebuild the bamboo dorms, which is a struggle since the average income in this area is $500-$1000 a year. The constant rebuilding of these dormitories is costly, and because it’s not sustainable, the building has become unsafe, as well.

In spite of the small and confined living conditions, the bamboo walls and ceilings often collapse and causing flooding when it rains. Since the government is not able to support this local village, in 2019, our partner, Discova broke ground to build new student housing, with the local community and travelers involved in Discova's Educational Travel program. The project was meant to be completed by May 2021, but since no one is travel, because of COVID-19, the project has been put on pause.

We are joining Discova, as well as other supporters across the globe to raise the remaining $16,000 to complete funding this project. The money will go to local workers in the village to finish the final building of the dorms without physical help from travelers. This project will give more students the opportunity for education, improve the public health and safety for the children, and contribute to alleviating poverty within the local community. 

The new and improved dorms made of brick and solid structure will have the capacity to house 600 students. The final phases that need to be completed will be the roofs, installing electrical lines, door and windows, and painting.

We think this is a really important project, and since we can’t support it by sending travelers to Laos for voluntourism journeys, we’re going to be supporting it with a donation of funds. And, we’d like you to get involved, as well. You can make a donation to the project by clicking the button, below.

But, that’s not all! For each new booking to Southeast Asia placed under deposit between now and the end of 2020 (for travel in 2021), we’ll also be making a donation to this project to help finish these dormitories in Laos. So, if you’re thinking about taking a trip to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, or VietNam, this is the perfect time to call us to get started on an authentic, immersive journey to one of our favorite parts of the world.

Travel changes you. You change the world.