On 1 October 2021 Laos requested international assistance from the EU in view of the new wave of COVID-19, which extended to all provinces across the country. As the number of community infections grew, Laos introduced strict measures of lockdown.
Luckily still before that, Thip and Pay* managed to successfully finish their first year in the Pakse Talent school and motivated the younger generation back on the island to compete for the next year scholarship. Just as I dreamt, it made the kids to study hard and do their best in the final exams. I managed to organise for some of them additional online English classes, matching the children of colleagues in Europe with the students, who wished to practice their English. It has been a rewarding and truly amazing adventure for everyone in different corners of the world.
Four best students were given the opportunity to travel to Pakse and register for the entry exam. Phon, Little Girl, To and Pei* were all excited going with the English teacher, getting their photos taken, handing in their final score certificates and were all ready to write the exam…
However, things are never easy… As you may remember, Little Girl was very ill and spent months in the hospital, which made her lose a year at school. But when she got better she got back and was studying very hard to catch up. However, she is one year behind and one year older than her classmates. So suddenly, I was informed that she cannot register for the exam as she is too old. I could only imagine how disappointed she felt and hence tried to do all I could to help.
The clock was ticking as the registration was closing in few hours. I called the hospital and got Little Girl a document certifying that she missed a year due to long treatment. But even then she was told in the registration centre that it cannot be accepted and that she needs to… change her birthday … I could not believe it. After my calls, eventually Little Girl was put on the list for exam, but with an instruction to change her birthday before the exam takes place.
However, due to COVID-19, which this time was helpful, the exam that was to take place the following day, was put on hold. This allowed me to contact the Rapid Response Coordinator in the Regional Echofield Office in Bangkok, with whom I work and who put me in touch with Save the Children in Laos. The head of department of education was equally surpirsed that Little Girl was asked to change her birthday as there in no rule in Laos, which would put the age limit on entering the high school. He contacted the deputy Director General in the Ministry of Education, who in turn called the district Educational Council in Pakse to inquire about the situation. The intervention from the capital may have helped, because even if given the sanitary situation the entry exam has never taken place, the list of admitted students was drawn up based on the final scores and .. Little Girl, alongside all the students from Don Khon, was admitted to the Pakse Talent School!
After the publication of the final list, the children started to gather all necessary documents, which had to be sent to Pakse to complete the registration process. We have all been waiting for the announcement of the start of the school year and Thip and Pay were ready to guide the younger generation.
Thip went to the mainland with Little Girl to help her open a bank account, so she could get the scholarship and they all were waiting to move to Pakse. In the meantime, Laos received several shipments of vaccines from Covax, Poland delivered requested 658,610 doses so there was enough to lower the age limit for vaccination and all the children got their jabs.
The situation however has not improved and finally the Pakse Talent school announced online learning. This has not been a practice in Laos as children hardly have access to equipment and neither do the schools. But as the Pakse Talent school is a special school, I was really happy to learn the kids will continue their education. There are no computers, but most of youngsters have mobiles, so the only thing I did was to buy them good headphones with microphone as well as to pay for good data subscription, so that they can benefit their classes with no connection problems. The headphones arrived to the island from Vientiane (as there no proper headphone available in the poor Southern province) and I was really thrilled as all the six students, whom the project is now supporting, have started online classes on Monday! They were all very happy and motivated, sending the pictures of their mobile screens and notes.
I am really happy that even not being able to travel to Laos for more than 2 years now, I managed to keep in touch and enhance the scholarship programme for the brightest and most hardworking. In particular, where now normal schools are closed, it is an amazing opportunity for these kids to continue learning.
*the real names were changed to protect children’s identities
Luckily still before that, Thip and Pay* managed to successfully finish their first year in the Pakse Talent school and motivated the younger generation back on the island to compete for the next year scholarship. Just as I dreamt, it made the kids to study hard and do their best in the final exams. I managed to organise for some of them additional online English classes, matching the children of colleagues in Europe with the students, who wished to practice their English. It has been a rewarding and truly amazing adventure for everyone in different corners of the world.
Four best students were given the opportunity to travel to Pakse and register for the entry exam. Phon, Little Girl, To and Pei* were all excited going with the English teacher, getting their photos taken, handing in their final score certificates and were all ready to write the exam…
However, things are never easy… As you may remember, Little Girl was very ill and spent months in the hospital, which made her lose a year at school. But when she got better she got back and was studying very hard to catch up. However, she is one year behind and one year older than her classmates. So suddenly, I was informed that she cannot register for the exam as she is too old. I could only imagine how disappointed she felt and hence tried to do all I could to help.
The clock was ticking as the registration was closing in few hours. I called the hospital and got Little Girl a document certifying that she missed a year due to long treatment. But even then she was told in the registration centre that it cannot be accepted and that she needs to… change her birthday … I could not believe it. After my calls, eventually Little Girl was put on the list for exam, but with an instruction to change her birthday before the exam takes place.
However, due to COVID-19, which this time was helpful, the exam that was to take place the following day, was put on hold. This allowed me to contact the Rapid Response Coordinator in the Regional Echofield Office in Bangkok, with whom I work and who put me in touch with Save the Children in Laos. The head of department of education was equally surpirsed that Little Girl was asked to change her birthday as there in no rule in Laos, which would put the age limit on entering the high school. He contacted the deputy Director General in the Ministry of Education, who in turn called the district Educational Council in Pakse to inquire about the situation. The intervention from the capital may have helped, because even if given the sanitary situation the entry exam has never taken place, the list of admitted students was drawn up based on the final scores and .. Little Girl, alongside all the students from Don Khon, was admitted to the Pakse Talent School!
After the publication of the final list, the children started to gather all necessary documents, which had to be sent to Pakse to complete the registration process. We have all been waiting for the announcement of the start of the school year and Thip and Pay were ready to guide the younger generation.
Thip went to the mainland with Little Girl to help her open a bank account, so she could get the scholarship and they all were waiting to move to Pakse. In the meantime, Laos received several shipments of vaccines from Covax, Poland delivered requested 658,610 doses so there was enough to lower the age limit for vaccination and all the children got their jabs.
The situation however has not improved and finally the Pakse Talent school announced online learning. This has not been a practice in Laos as children hardly have access to equipment and neither do the schools. But as the Pakse Talent school is a special school, I was really happy to learn the kids will continue their education. There are no computers, but most of youngsters have mobiles, so the only thing I did was to buy them good headphones with microphone as well as to pay for good data subscription, so that they can benefit their classes with no connection problems. The headphones arrived to the island from Vientiane (as there no proper headphone available in the poor Southern province) and I was really thrilled as all the six students, whom the project is now supporting, have started online classes on Monday! They were all very happy and motivated, sending the pictures of their mobile screens and notes.
I am really happy that even not being able to travel to Laos for more than 2 years now, I managed to keep in touch and enhance the scholarship programme for the brightest and most hardworking. In particular, where now normal schools are closed, it is an amazing opportunity for these kids to continue learning.
*the real names were changed to protect children’s identities
And still before the recent lockdown, I also managed to repair the bathroom at the school, which stopped working as it had not been used during the previous school closure. So at least for the time of that reopening, the children had working infrastructure, which is now more important than ever to keep hands clean and be protected against the virus.
Whereas it is much less satisfactory than seeing things happen in reality, meeting families and children, shaking hands with friends who repair the infrastructure, still it is a heart-warming experience to see things happen also from far and being able to continue keeping in touch with the community on the Don Khon island, even if remotely.
Whereas it is much less satisfactory than seeing things happen in reality, meeting families and children, shaking hands with friends who repair the infrastructure, still it is a heart-warming experience to see things happen also from far and being able to continue keeping in touch with the community on the Don Khon island, even if remotely.