‘Children of the Hidden Country’ – Laos

Last summer a group of friends and I decided to leave the comfort of our city life in Singapore and travel to Laos, a small country tucked away between Thailand and Vietnam. Many people are unfamiliar with this small nation; so much so, that it is sometimes referred to as 'The Hidden Country'.

Laos immediately won all of our hearts. Unlike neighbouring Asian countries Laos does not attract a lot of tourist, therefore, the culture remains genuine and authentic. This also means it is severely underdeveloped making it the second poorest country in Asia.

During our time in Laos we were staying in a rural village, teaching english in a small school. It didn't take long for us to fall in love with all the students; there's truly something inspiring in witnessing a class of children with all the odds in the world stacked against them, still exemplify such enthusiasm, passion and energy. However, one thing that stood out was their poor dental hygiene: cavities, missing teeth and rotting gums tainted the innocent smiles of all the children in the class. And this is were we want to make a lasting impact.

Brushing teeth is second nature in the developed world, however in a country where the only thing on a parent's mind is how they will feed their children that night, toothbrushes are never a priority. Partnering with a local staff member we want to provide toothbrushes and toothpaste for all the children in the school allowing them to practise basic dental hygiene we take for granted.

Each dental set, one toothbrush and toothpaste, purchased domestically costs USD 0.68, yes, 68 cents! Our goal is to provide this set for all the children from 2 schools in the village we visited. $1 has the potential too drastically improve the wellbeing of a Laotian child.

It would mean the world to us if we could have a real lasting impact on the community we worked with. However distant Laos may seem, as global community we have a responsibility to look out for even the smallest of our brothers and sisters. Please consider funding this project, any support is accepted with love and thoroughly appreciated!