Student Dormitory in Luang Prabang Laos

In today’s world, particularly in impoverished countries such as #Laos, many people live in inadequate housing, and the need is growing massively, particularly as the financial markets fluctuate and COVID-19 has shut down tourism and caused many businesses and organizations to close!

It saddens me greatly that the lives of so many young students are equally threatened: living in countryside villages, where little and/or no education at all is available, and where parents cannot afford to pay for their schooling or their accommodations in towns and cities.Likewise, men and women living in these impoverished villages, want to improve their living to better themselves by taking responsibility for their lives, seeking employment in Luang Prabang, and finding their independence in a professional environment.

We have started to build a dormitory in Ban Ma Village to accommodate needy, impoverished people from countryside villages; thus, enabling them to grow, follow their dreams, and realize their potential, while living within accessible distance of schools and opportunities for employment in the city of Luang Prabang.

Living in such a dormitory will not only serve as accommodation for these needy individuals but will also be educational. It will teach the occupants the value of communal living, equal participation in common tasks for the dormitory, hygiene, and helping others.

In the future, when each tenant is financially liable, he/she will be responsible for his/her share of the dormitory electricity and water bills, as well as participating in room rental fees.This will teach the occupants that they must develop and grow in their individual independence and responsibilities and to no longer rely on tips, gifts and offerings from tourists, as they might have experienced in their villages.Life is not a ‘free ride’!

LOCATION

The village lies in the outskirts of the UNESCO World Heritage city of #LuangPrabang. Besides, it is only a short ten-minute bike ride to the center of town, giving students a safe easy access to education, cultural facilities (library, museums…) and all their everyday needs. Moreover, dormitory is adjacent to the Luang Prabang Provincial and Lao Friends’ Children’s Hospitals.

The village is safe and easy for the students to get around.It offers a good assortment of shops, and some interesting institutions and businesses all open to the public, some of them might be of interest to the students such as a motorcycle/bicycle garage, a bowling alley, restaurants and coffee shops, and two fascinating handicraft shops, featuring a huge variety of handicrafts created by students attending the Luang Prabang Special Education School and the Deaf & Mute Community Center. All worth a visit!

STRUCTURAL SPECIFICATIONS

Each of the 10 rooms can accommodate up to four people, with the focus on maintaining family unity.

Each single unit will consist of a bedroom, a bathroom with toilet and shower, a kitchen, and an outdoor kitchen to enable Lao-style cooking with firewood.

A common parking and a garbage place will be situated in front of the dormitory building. We will set up different sorting containers in order to be able to recycle as much as we can.

In the future, we also plan to purchase a parcel of land, 400m², adjacent to the proposed dormitory for students to learn and develop their own organic gardens.

FUNDING

Onchan Soulinthone, the project founder, has donated a 400 m²plot of land for the dormitory.A first tranche of $24,000 has been raised to begin construction.

We will need an additional $73,000 to complete the 10 rooms and are raising a second tranche of 24,000 now.

#LaoCharity #StudentHousing #Education