During the decades following the Vietnam War and other various violent tremors throughout Laos, many citizens fled to Thailand for refuge and consequently stayed there for many years while awaiting an uncertain future.
World Education Laos was founded and began its first project in 1992 to aid repatriation efforts with comprehensive integration programs designed to allow Lao citizens to live independently once they have returned to their deserted and often times heavily bombed home territory.
World Education began repatriation services in Luang Prabang, Xayabouly, and Vientiane Provinces, with efforts in health, education, and livelihood components. Health centers, primary schools, and veterinary clinics were all built and staffed with newly trained village health workers, teachers, veterinarians, and livestock experts. World Education also worked with UNHCR to obtain land for rice fields, prepare the land for cultivation, and deal with any civilian or governmental disputes. They trained villagers in paddy rice farming and developed an irrigation scheme.
During their time in the Thai refugee camps, many repatriates developed an addiction to opium, affecting their family life, financial stability, and their ability to actively and independently plant their roots once more in Laos. To mitigate this problem, World Education implemented an opium detox program beginning in 1999 in Luang Prabang Province.