Volunteering in Laos

The charming French villas, the mighty Mekong river and saffron-clad monks tend to grab the headlines in Luang Prabang.

But once you’ve got your Insta-friendly photos, what else do you do in this charming northern Lao town? Many tend to laze in the coffee shops and stroll the streets in their Beer Lao t-sihrts. But there is a far more rewarding way to spend your time here. Volunteer. 

Here are some of the main volunteer groups in Luang Prabang. We spent time volunteering in each and found it incredibly rewarding – and, we hope, meaningful for the students we taught.

Big Brother Mouse 

Big Brother Mouse is the only company to have a Lao publishing licence outside of the capital Vientiene.

It came about thanks to Khamala and Siphone, who trained together as novice monks, and Sasha, a publisher. After realising there were few books written in Lao, they began writing their own. 

After adding some illustrators, more writers and translators, they found themselves with six titles and their own book shop. Children came to hear the stories read aloud, there was a swap box to exchange titles and all looked well. But, after two weeks everyone had read all the books.

By the end of 2016, 15 books had been published. The book shop in Luang Prabang soon included free English conversation classes where tourists would drop by to help out. Outside of the city though, few children could read. A 2019 survey revealed only half of ten-year-olds could understand a basic text.

Big Brother Mouse ended up opening eight schools serving 2,900 students. Parents pay a fee of around US$40 a month, which helps pay for the teachers and maintenance costs. Its reputation has grown and has resulted in several awards, including recognition from former US President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative in Hong Kong.

I-hurn, one of the teachers, explained that primary-age students study in one school close to Luang Prabang or at one for high school students about an hour away. Conditions are basic but the welcome is warm. As we jump from our truck we are greeted by a row of students, all eager to offer high-fives and ask questions.

Spotting my Liverpool shirt, one boy asks ‘Who is your football idol?’ We agree that Steven Gerrard is the correct answer.

The students then show me to their classrooms and we are put with groups of five students. Our first task is to get them to identify animals from a series of flashcards, which they do with ease. 

Each session runs for 15 minutes and we then swap classes, moving on to some books about bears, baboons and balloons (alliteration seems to be the focus here).

I-hurn explained that students study English and a range of other subjects here. Options once they leave are limited, though. In high school, many return to the local system but few make it to university, put off by the fees and also the lack of job opportunities even if they graduate. With good English skills though, they are likely to find work in Luang Prabang.

Volunteers can spend a day or longer at one of the schools, where materials such as flashcards and board games are provided. Some schools are particularly remote and accessible by river so need a four-day commitment.

Open 8am-7pm daily

Cost: $US10 (lunch and transportation included)

Website: www.bigbrothermouse.com

Location: Big Brother Mouse’s book store and office is in Phayameungchan Road in central Luang Prabang.

My Library

This simple but highly effective organisation offers a quiet space for students inside a charismatic two-storey converted wooden home. Busiest after school ends in late afternoon, students fill this building to read from its wide range of donated books, use the computers (none have internet so the focus is on educational tools and video editing) or learn English from the tourists who drop by.

Funding comes via a US organisation and donations. When we visited, Gao and Da were sitting on the verandah looking up some new vocabulary. Before long, I’m explaining to Gao how ‘about’ has three different meanings (which hadn’t really occured to me beforehand). He sounds appreciative and duly notes down some examples. 

Da, 20, is reading ‘Leave No Footprints’ and noting down new vocabulary as she goes. Each morning they come here to study and read before heading off to their hotel jobs in the afternoon. 

Appointments aren’t needed – simply visit and see who else may want to chat.

Email: mylibrarystaff@gmail.com

Tel: 856 2056 970 139

Facebook: MyLibraryinLuangPrabang

Green Lion

At a government school on the outskirts of Luang Prabang, volunteers sit mixing concrete by hand (mixers are sometimes brought in by helpers, but they’re too expensive to use all the time). The dark-grey mix is poured into moulds and then opened to dry. The resulting bricks are then being used to build a wall around the local government school – previously dogs and locals tended to wander through.

Inside one of the classrooms are 21 children, a blackboard and me. Peering through the open windows are a dozen more students, keen to see what the first foreign teacher to ever visit them has in store.

We run through some basic conversation, tossing a tennis ball to and fro to show who the speaker is, then work on some number games. Outside, the wall is slowly taking shape.

The students are incredibly keen and hang on each word. Some jot down notes and others mouth my words back.

If there’s a better way to spend your time in Luang Prabang, we’ve yet to find it.

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