Our Work

Microfinance in Southern Laos

Poor rural communities in Laos do not have access to secure and reliable financial services. Consequently, families are unable to make significant investments in developing their livelihoods, weather economic shocks, and save for the future.

World Education has been engaged in rural village-level savings and credit activities for 10 years. In 1998, World Education/Consortium became the first NGO in Laos to establish a rural village savings and credit fund, and has supported local village credit schemes for thousands of villagers throughout the country. Recent changes in the regulatory environment for microfinance in Laos present an opportunity for World Education to support building a sustainable and independent microfinance institution, based on a village-banking model.

In building this institution World Education will draw upon the microfinance expertise of its Microfinance Resource Unit in Australia, together with its local experience in implementing village-level savings and credit activities in Laos.