What's New

“After my participation in the business plan development training with the Okard project to get ready and well equipped for starting my own business, I am so glad to receive the motorbike parts and other materials to develop my shop and provide good services to customers.”  – Mr. Nota’s caregiver from Hib Village, Kham District, Xieng Khouang Province. Nota is a USAID Okard beneficiary who has an intellectual impairment. From August through December 2021, the USAID Okard Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) team provided livestock such as goats, chickens, pigs, and fish, and equipment such as motorbike parts, tractor parts, and grocery items, valued at more ...

“As a representative of National Committee for Disabled People and the Elderly (NCDE), I am glad to participate in this Okard Redesign workshop. The project gives “Okard” opportunities to persons with disabilities. We are the key driver to support and serve persons with disabilities in two targeted districts. Today all sub-recipients presented updates and various information about the Assistive Products to improve people’s functioning and well-being, economic empowerment and other services along with the success, we also have faced some challenges and difficulties that we need to increase our synergies and work together and today we set up the timeline and action plan for extending ...

Celebration of the National and International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021  On December 4, 2021, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Education Laos, Humanity & Inclusion, and Lao Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) organized a virtual event to celebrate the National and International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 2021.  This year’s theme is “Reaching for a better life”, which aims to celebrate human diversity including diversity in the ability to move, communicate, see and hear, as well as diversity in learning and well-being. The celebration of persons with disabilities focused on empathy, dignity, equity and non-discrimination particularly in terms of the ...

       World Education Laos is excited to announce the Lawang (“Beware”): Expanding the Scope of Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) in Laos project. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Lawang project will build on achievements of the recent Comprehensive Mine Risk Education project by piloting new modes of EORE that will bring unexploded ordnance safety messages to a wider audience across the country. WEI is currently in the process of obtaining a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education and Sport (MOES) for the Lawang project, which will run from 2021-2024. WEI will work with MOES to design and pilot an EORE ...

“Persons with disabilities have capabilities, skills and talents to support and take care of their families, and at the same time they are inspiring and empowering others to overcome any barriers they may face in life” –  US Ambassador to Lao P.D.R – Peter Haymond. “The United States is proud to help Lao PDR improve the health and well-being of persons with disabilities under the U.S. Lao Comprehensive partnership”. On 28 August 2021, US Ambassador Peter Haymond and his wife Dusadee visited the Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) USAID Okard project in Kham District, Xiengkhouang Province. During the visit, they joined a discussion with a group ...

Disability Inclusive Development (DID) training for community-based Self-Help Groups in Savannakhet and Xieng Khouang Provinces From July 27 to 29, 2021 in Savannakhet Province and August 10 to 12, 2021 in Xieng Khouang Province, USAID Okard, together with the Association for Autism (AfA) and core trainer team from four organizations of people with disabilities (Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA), Association for Deaf (AFD), Lao Disabled Women Development Centre (LDWDC) and Disability Service Centre (DSC)), conducted Disability Inclusive Development (DID) training for leaders of the USAID Okard-established self-help groups (SHG) from 13 villages in Savannakhet and Xieng Khouang to strengthen their understanding of the rights of ...

“It is a good opportunity for us to refresh our knowledge and skills on clubfoot treatment. During the training, after practicing on a clubfoot rubber mould, we had the chance to practice clubfoot manipulation and casting on babies in real time. I think the most important part of the training for us was to refresh our skills on how to put our fingers at the exact place to correct the foot deformities.” – Mr. Phayabseng Vilayvanh, participant from the Provincial Rehabilitation Sub Center (PRSC), Savannakhet Province. More than 200 babies are born with clubfoot every year in Laos. Boys are twice more likely ...

“This is a new experience for me to join this social club. I’ve been having fun with other participants through many interactive games, and yet at the same time, I learned about everyone’s stories and how they overcame their insecurities due to their disabilities. I’m so happy that I could share my feelings with others” – Ms. Nee from Heep Village, a person with mobility impairment who has recently joined the USAID Okard’s social club. On 29 July 2021, the USAID Okard Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) team from the Quality of Life Association (QLA) in Xieng Khouang Province conducted a ‘social club’. The club is ...

#CBIDUpdate: How Uncle Bounun’s life has changed since using his new hearing aid, donated by USAID! Let’s flashback to Uncle Bounun’s story – he travelled to Vientiane Capital through the support of USAID Okard, and after having a hearing assessment, the specialist clinic diagnosed difficulties in hearing and he received a hearing aid. Since returning to his village, the Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Facilitator visited Uncle Bounun at home to check in on how he was doing using his hearing aid. Uncle Bounun said: “I am getting more comfortable with the hearing aid and how to maintain it. Thanks to the doctor and the CBID Facilitator who ...

The Ministry of Health supports the development of rehabilitation countrywide. On 16 July 2021, USAID Okard supported the Department of Health and Rehabilitation (DHR), Ministry of Health to conduct the first National Rehabilitation Committee Meeting. During the meeting, the participants from central hospitals and relevant MOH departments discussed tangible actions to be taken to implement the National Rehabilitation Medicine Strategy 2020-2025. The rehabilitation committee confirmed the importance of increasing rehabilitation for strengthening the health systems in Laos and the intention to follow the recommendations of the WHO Rehabilitation 2030 initiative. Rehabilitation is a set of exercises and treatments that can reduce disability and improve the function and ...