In August 2008 we visited the Luang Prabang Orphanage where children suffer from chronic malnutrition and hunger.  Although the children were hospitable and appreciative they were not very happy.  These young people not only have to deal with the loss of their parents but they also suffer from hunger.  Approximately 500 children ages 6 through 18 live at the orphanage.  Roughly 15% are girls.

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Erziyan Village, Yuanjiaxi, Sichuan Province, China

Gokwanh Village, located 30 kilometers north of Luang Prabang, was established five centuries ago. The original villagers came from Xiengsen and Xieng Hai, Thailand.

Kokngiew Village is located about 15 kilometers east of Luang Prabang.

Completed in May 2004, the preschool at Mouang Khai was our fifth in eighteen months, and we at Give Children A Choice are extremely proud of that!

Napho Village was established over a century ago. The village leaders and residents are very proud of their village and their children and it shows!

Nong Khiew is the largest village we have built in to date. Our three-room preschool is set in the shadow of an impressive mountain that resembles a reclining woman and is, not surprisingly, called 'Woman Mountain.'

Villagers sent their preschoolers to an old wooden house. Originally built in 1968, it was once the home of a USAID worker. Despite its state of disrepair, it housed a thriving preschool program; from 2000 to 2005 preschool attendance had increased by 73%!

Pak Ou Village is perched on the banks of the Mekong River across from the Pak Ou Caves, a popular tourist destination.  Many of the villagers earn their living catering to the tourists; selling souvenirs, handicrafts and traditional Lao food.  Many others are fishermen or farmers; growing sesame, peanuts and jobe's ear.

Located approximately 35 km outside of Luang Prabang in Pak Ou District, Pha Theung Village is home to about 650 people.  Lao Loum, Hmong and Khmer villagers grow rice, corn, sesame on the banks of the Ou River.  The villagers also raise buffalo, pigs, goats and chickens.  Average annual income in the village is approximately $400 a year per family.

Suane Luang Village is located about 30 minutes east, southeast of Luang Prabang on the road to Vientiane to the south. The village is a district center for the Xieng Ngeun District, which is made up of many villages in the district.

Thinkeo Village is located about 40 minutes south of Luang Prabang along the Mekong River. They have a secondary school in addition to a primary school.

We had an unusual request from the Thinkeo village leaders. They were very familiar with Give Children A Choice’s preschools and their mission to build and fill preschools with children. They knew our preschools were “best in class”. They knew that primary school support was not part of our mission.

Lathsene Village is located in Phaxai District, 11 kilometers southwest of Phonsavan, the capital of Xieng Khouang Province. The village is home to 82 families and 494 people. Average annual income ranges from $300 to 500, most derived from farming.

'As home of our first Give Children A Choice preschool in Laos, Aine Savanh Village will always be very special to us.  We first visited Aine Savanh in 2000 and returned many times before building our first preschool there.  We assisted the village by building a cistern and laying a water line.  We installed electricity in a small group of homes and the village primary school.  We empowered the village leaders to secure the necessary government approvals to build a preschool.