Education
Why Educate a Girl ?
“ When Dokkham was offered the chance to join Lotus by the village chief, her sister told her not to bother since there was no point. Even at the age of eight, Dokkham knew there were opportunities beyond the village and after completing school she gained a scholarship to study Agriculture at University.”
An Educated Girl can make an informed choice from a far better range of options. Thus, educating girls saves lives and builds stronger families, communities and economies.
1. Over 50% girls from ethnic communities in Laos do not attend school
2. Child marriages result in many underage girls dropping out of school
3. Organisations such as the Lotus Educational Fund are giving girls greater opportunities to access school
4. Training rural female teachers improves educational access and quality for rural girls
Give a Girl a Voice
When education costs too much – and when good-quality education is hard to come by – parents, especially those in poverty, may feel that the future returns may not justify the present.
The Lotus girls come from some of the most financially impoverished ethnic minority areas in Laos. Through our strong local partnership we have managed to retain and facilitate the education of 50% of our original students through to graduation, while retaining 80 % of our current girls into secondary school.
This is an achievement we are very proud of especially as many of the women in this area did not have the opportunity themselves to attend primary school.
Change Agents
“It is usual for girls in my village to drop out of school at 15 and go to work in Thailand as their parents are poor and need them to help with money.” Baisy
Helping parents understand that investing in their daughters’ education is essential if their daughters are to make ‘good decisions’ in the future that impact not only themselves but their parents too is an integral part of our program.
Registration day is a wonderful example where the local community combines to work through all the necessary tasks. From measuring uniforms and collecting family data for registration to delivering school packs (if you can add a second ex here) , it’s a partnership all the way.
Using Their Voices- to Drive Change
“Everyone dreams of doing something in their lives. I also have a dream and when I grow up I want to become a doctor. My village has never seen a qualified doctor. This makes me feel very sad and I regret that my village had to suffer this way. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a doctor. I will not give up my dream.” Baisy
Lotus believes that empowering young women through education, dynamic activities and mentoring will motivate and enable them to believe in their abilities as catalysts for change. After participating in a session on Human Trafficking during a Lotus workshop, the girls returned to their classroom to share their new understanding.