Young people gaining real-life experiences of the importance of ecology at Suanmailao Center.

Young people gaining real-life experiences of the importance of ecology at Suanmailao Center.

Suanmailao Eco-Forest Learning Center

The Suanmailao Eco-Forest Learning Center is located in a 14 hectare of previously depleted forest in Sang Houa Bor village, Vientiane Capital.

The main mission of the Center, which was started in 2009 with four main staff members, is to educate young people and the general public on the importance of ecology in relation to holistic education and development.

Suanmailao Eco-Forest Learning Center is a model for sustainable reforestation.  This has been achieved by close cooperation with communities and other stakeholder by raising awareness about the environment through environmental camps, community service and training.

It provides numerous training programs to youth and community leaders from many parts of the country through partnerships with the Ministry of Education and other local and international Non Profit Associations.

Suanmailao has developed training programs, which include:

Wisdom box

Using the “Wisdom Box” tool to promote holistic education and development.

  • Training of Trainers
  • Project management
  • Leadership for Development
  • Team power and happiness
  • Volunteerism for development
  • Community forest development and reforestation
  • Environmental protection and camping
  • Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)
  • Community baseline survey, analysis and village development plan
  • “Wisdom box” tool.

The Eco-Forest Learning Center team has been sub-contracted by a number of organizations (SNV, Helvetas, Plan International, Child Fund, Room to Read, UNDP, Handicap International, Water and Sanitation Program (WSP World Bank), Theun Hin Boon Power Company ) to conduct training with community members. About 80% of the total participants are from ethnic minority groups.

Suanmailao staff travel the country

Suanmailao staff travel the country to train other youth leaders as well as community members

Suanmailao Eco-Forest Learning Center also produced seedlings of important indigenous hardwood species to preserve these species and to distribute through the monks network and the school network.

Suanmailao staff travel the country to train other youth leaders as well as community members in the provinces on various new approaches such as:

  • House hold water treatment and safe storage
  • Participatory Land Use Planning (PLUP)
  • Indigenous knowledge.

It is possible to organize trainings and meeting at the Suanmailao Eco-Forest Learning Center. Please contact us for further information: suanmailao@padetc.org

Economic Empowerment Fellows Program at the University of Montana

The Participatory Development Training Center and the Mansfield Center of the University of Montana are pleased to be working in partnership to deliver the Economic Empowerment Program.  This program focuses on expanding economic opportunity to broader society, with the goals of increasing incomes and reducing poverty.  The program will take place over 5 weeks in the United States in 2014, and PADETC and the Mansfield Center are currently seeking professional applications for participation.  For more information on the program, please see Project summary , and the application form is available at Here.  This program is sponsored by the US Embassy in Lao PDR.  Applications close on 15 December 2013.

Achievements and Impacts

2012

  • Trained approximately 296 pupils on community data collection, communal land mapping, climate change, and film production
  • Trained 40 teachers on project proposal writing
  • Trained 70 local leaders on team leadership for community surveys.
  • Trained 839 villagers in Xieng Khouang and Bolikhamxay on sanitation and protecting the community environment.
  • Produced 80,000 seedlings of important indigenous hard woods for distribution.
  • Developed learning tools including 3,000 handbooks on Indigenous Knowledge.

2011

Training sessions conducted in six provinces of Laos. A total of 434 persons were trained, including 246 are women. About 80% of the total participants are from ethnic minority groups.

2010

  • 500 people trained from civil society organizations and international agencies
  • 300 villagers participated in community services

2009

  • 472 youth volunteers trained
  • 200 staff members of civil society organizations trained
  • 400 villagers participated in community services.

Further information

 

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