💵 Over the last 2 months, our group produced 700 units of handkerchief, which generated a revenue of 7,000,000 Kip. 💵

Hi, my name is Somvang, and I'm from Haitai Village, Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital. As we know, rice farming requires hard labor but provides minimal income. So when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the challenges it brought along made our situation much worse.

Fortunately, during that time, my village was chosen to implement a livelihoods recovery program. The program introduced us to a variety of income-generating activities, allowing us to choose based on our individual skills and interests. Personally, I went for handkerchief-making program, which was an intensive 3-day hands-on session. As participants, we were generously provided with all the essential equipment needed for the program, including cotton, shuttles, spinning wheels, looms, scissors, and other necessary tools.

After the training, we formed a team of 11 people, including myself, and we named our group the “Haitai Handkerchief Group”. Over the last 2 months, our efforts resulted in the production of around 700 handkerchiefs, which generated an impressive revenue of 7,000,000 Kip. Since then, handkerchief production become our new revenue stream in addition to our main occupation, and we are so proud of it.

I cannot express my gratitude enough to IWAA for their support. Thanks to them, I was able to learn a new skill and earn additional income. I am incredibly grateful to IWAA for their support and hope to participate in more projects like this in the future.

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The handkerchief making program, led by IWAA through the CISAC project, successfully promotes community livelihoods by helping them generate sustainable income. Through the CISAC project, 20 local associations like IWAA have helped families and communities recover from the negative health and economic impacts of COVID. 

💥My daily income from selling long beans has increased to around 100,000 - 180,000 kip/day thanks to the newly taught techniques and provision of essential equipment.💥

Hi, my name is Thoun, and I'm a villager from Khaiy District in Luang Prabang province. I was fortunate enough to receive funds that allowed me to cultivate long beans and cucumbers on my farm. I've had some experience in farming before, but my methods were very basic and didn't produce good results. That's where the program under the CiSAC project came in to help.

The program taught me everything I needed to know about cultivation techniques, maintenance, and fertilization. They also provided me with seeds and the necessary equipment like fencing systems, watering cans, and seeds. I applied it to my farm and was amazed by the results. In a single day, I could harvest 5-9 kilos of beans, which I could sell for 20,000 kip per kilo.

I am deeply grateful to the program for providing assistance to underprivileged people (like myself) who have limited access to various funding and support, I have learned new techniques for growing vegetables and have seen an increase in my income.

🌱💰I now earn a minimum income of 180,000 kip per day from selling vegetables🌱💰

My name is Taengkham Jampathong, and I am a resident of Meuangsan Village, located in Khong District, Champasak Province. I primarily engage in rice farming, which unfortunately yields low and unstable income. Each harvest allows us to sustain our family's basic needs and sell a portion of the produce. Therefore, I have to grow vegetables to supplement my income. However, things took a turn for the worse after the Covid-19 disease spread. The economy changed, and the new normal brought about higher living expenses, while our income remained the same. This situation has made life incredibly difficult for us.

I was lucky that KCDA started a project in my village during that time to help people like me who were affected by COVID-19, to restore our livelihoods. This project gave us valuable support, including training in organic fertilizer production and techniques for growing vegetables in shade houses, along with funding to establish these shade houses.

The knowledge and new techniques provided by the program have proven incredibly beneficial. I successfully applied them to improve my vegetable garden, resulting in me growing more vegetables. As a result, I now earn a minimum income of 180,000 kip per day from selling vegetables. The higher, steadier income from the vegetable garden has improved my family's life.

I am grateful to the program for helping me improve my income. I will continue using what I have learned to improve my life and share lessons with others so that this program can have a lasting and sustainable impact on our community.

The shade house vegetable program, led by KCDA through the CiSAC project, successfully promotes community livelihoods by ensuring food security and generating sustainable income. Through the CISAC project, 20 local associations like KCDA have helped families and communities recover from the negative health and economic impacts of COVID.

“The project provided me with 500 young frogs, which I raised as food for my family and sold the surplus for 2,500,000 Kip.”

My name is Khamla Keopadid. I am 24 years old and live in Ban Phiengngam, Tonpherng district, Bokeo province. I do not have a job - I am a housewife and I rely mainly on my husband’s income as a soldier. Unfortunately, his salary is not sufficient to cover all our daily expenses. So, to be able to provide for ourselves, I raise some livestock at home and often go into the forest to forage for food. My situation took a turn for the worse when the pandemic hit. COVID-19 brought about additional challenges and an increase in the cost of living, leaving us in a dire financial position.

Fortunately, during this challenging period, I had the opportunity to participate in MHP’s livelihood recovery program, which helped those impacted by Covid-19 regain their livelihoods. Through this program, I was provided with 500 young frogs and received guidance on how to raise them. In addition, the project staff visited us from time to time to monitor our progress and gave us the guidance we needed.

A few months later, my frogs grew significantly and reached a size suitable for consumption. This greatly reduced our need to buy food from the market. Additionally, I could sell the frogs for additional income. I was able to make 2,500,000 kip from selling this lot of frogs. Witnessing firsthand the financial benefits of selling frogs has motivated us to expand in my frog farming activities.

Looking ahead to 2023, my plan is to purchase and raise more young frogs. As the demand for frog consumption grows, I aim to make frog farming my main occupation. Sometime in the future, I would love to learn about frog breeding to become self-sufficient and eliminate the need to buy frogs from others. This would also enable me to sell young frogs and further expand my business.

My name is Ms. Avonchit from Nasangvery village in Luang Prabang Province. I had no experience or income prior to deciding to study cooking, so I chose to pursue a culinary course in the hopes that it would lead to a decent profession.

During my studies, I learned both the theoretical and practical sides of cooking, with a particular focus on traditional Lao recipes such as sweets from cassava & soybeans, bean cake, steamed layer cake, larb (Lao meat salad), soup, curry soup, grilled dishes, rice noddle, pho, sausages, etc. I found the course to be exciting and rewarding. In addition to my studies, I also had the opportunity to apply my skills in real-world situations, such as at weddings, banquets, and the Hmong’s new year festival (Nor Pe Chao).

After I graduate, I plan to make a living by leveraging my experience as a chef's assistant in hotels and restaurants. I hope to be able to utilize my skills to create delicious dishes that will satisfy and delight customers. I'm excited to start this new chapter in my life and I'm confident my culinary knowledge will serve me well!

Ms. Avonchit participated in a European Union-funded livelihood-recovery activities run by the Association for Mutual Assistance. (AMA). AMA is conducting many capacity-building initiatives across Luang Prabang Province in Lao PDR as part of the CISAC project. The CISAC project is funded by the European Union in Laos, coordinated through the Lao CSO Coordination Office (LCCO), and implemented in partnership between Lao CSOs, SAEDA LAO, Chias Laos, Plan International Laos, and their Lao government partners, particularly the Ministry of Health. 

Mrs. Toun Xayvong was a 40-year-old woman from Danthin Village in Huaysai District, Bokeo Province. She had lived a comfortable life before the outbreak of covid-19, but the pandemic had changed everything. With the village locked down, the prospects of finding a job and making a living had become increasingly slim. With no steady income, Ms. Xayvong found it difficult to provide for her family, leading to a sense of hopelessness.

In July 2022, I heard about the CiSAC Project. Since then, my life changed for the better. The program I joined taught me to cultivate vegetables throughout the dry and rainy seasons. I enjoyed learning new things, especially about soil preparation, routine maintenance, and bio-fertilizer applications. In addition to technical guidance, the program provided me with a variety of vegetable seeds, as well as basic equipment to get me started. I was really surprised by how my vegetables turned out to be because of the new growing technique I just learned. The yield was so much higher than before. I previously could produce only 1,000+ kg of vegetables and sold them for 8-9 million kip. But now I have produced more than 6,550 kg and have increased my income by more than 50 million kip. My family’s situation has improved thanks to the help from the project.

Mrs. Toun participated in a European Union funded livelihood-recovery activities run by the Community Association for Knowledge In Development (CAMKID). CAMKID is conducting many capacity building initiatives across Bokeo Province in Lao PDR as part of the CISAC project. The CISAC project is funded by the European Union, coordinated through the Lao Civil Society Coordination Office, and implemented in partnership between Lao CSOs, SAEDA, CHIAS, Plan International, and their Lao government partners, particularly the Ministry of Health.

“Without protection from the shade house, my vegetables will be exposed to heavy rain or direct sunlight, resulting in the loss of half of the crops cultivated”.

Sabaidee, my name is Chan Onsomeboun and I reside in Han village, located in Hongsa District of Xayaboury Province. My family and I were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and received assistance from the CiSAC project. We are farmers who rely heavily on weather conditions to grow and sell vegetables. Unfortunately, in some seasons, we have experienced significant losses due to harsh weather conditions.

Thanks to the CiSAC project, we were provided with various vegetable varieties and equipment to establish shade houses or greenhouses. The shade house we received has made a significant difference in our lives. It enables us to grow vegetables throughout the year, regardless of the weather, and prevents produce from rotting or getting burnt.

In the past three months, I have sold my produce three times, generating an average of 500,000 kip per sale. This has enabled us to provide for our needs and slowly improved our living conditions.

Hi, my name is Khamkieng Singaenkham, and I come from Kokngiew village, in Luang Prabang Province. Before enrolling in the program, I was just another unemployed young man, struggling to make ends meet. This was a problem not just for myself, but for society as a whole.

Determined to turn things around, I decided to pursue further education and gain the skills necessary to build a career. Luckily, I discovered a program (under CiSAC Project) that not only covered my tuition fees but also provided study materials, accommodation, and even fuel for transportation.

I gained a lot of knowledge about electricity through the course I took. It covered a range of topics, such as electrical panel installation, electrical wiring, fan installation, and electrical inspections.

After finishing my studies, my goal is to secure a job in either the public or private sector in order to establish financial stability. Additionally, I plan on taking up side work to assist families who require assistance with, for instance, light installations and electrical inspections.