Here, close to the border to Vietnam, live mainly ethnic minority groups, often rarely or not educated at all. Community Learning Centers (CLC) provide a public space for learning, sharing and meeting for all villagers.
Trainings and courses depend on the demand of the villagers themselves, who decide upon the activity plan together with the governmental staff and authorities.
Thanks to these centers also local ethnic groups have the possibility of accessing to education.
"We at DVV International aim at making education – especially non-formal education – available for everyone. The centers offer a variety of free courses for both children and adults.
Therefore, CLCs serve also as a platform which brings people together and encourage them to interact"; so Dokkham Xomsihapanya, Project Manager
The concept of CLC comes from UNESCO, according to which a CLC is a community-based non formal education institution that provides a range of services and learning opportunities to out-of-school children, youth and illiterate or semi-literate adults fromsocially disadvantaged communities.
In Lao PDR, CLCs are part of the current Non-Formal Education policies as key venues for lifelong learning at village level.
CLCs aim to provide easy and accessible basic non-formal education for especially adults, children and youth. Therefore, literacy classes are offered in the evenings, so that the villagers can participate after work. Additionally, life skill classes and vocational trainings are provided. Life skill trainings encompass discussions about health and financial issues, aiming to facilitate the everyday life of the villagers.
Short vocational trainings aim to increase the outcome of the agricultural work and to open new income sources. Trainings are based on the needs of the villagers, thus, for example, motorbike repair classes, jar-classes or weaving-classes are offered.
Currently there are two projects going on, the
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