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Redefining International Education

The Lotus girls who will enter Secondary school in September with teachers from NIST,

Bangkok.

It is a known fact that in many countries girls face many barriers in attending school. The

major barriers include: male preference, attitudes towards girls early marriage, school

distances that exceed the local security code, teacher absenteeism and financial and domestic

pressures and expectations.

Since 2008, the Lotus Education Fund has successfully facilitated 44 girls access to complete

their elementary education in six schools within the Champhone district in the province of

Savannakhet. The girls were carefully identified by local community leaders as capable of

attending school and whose families were experiencing significant poverty. In May 2013, a

group of International teachers from the New International School of Thailand travelled to

Laos to meet the 44 girls, oversee the orientation of a new enrolment of 40 girls into Grade

One and deliver a variety of English teaching resources developed by teachers at NIST. The

teachers included Luis Murillo Othon, David Garcia Fernandez, Amelie Nadeau, Nora

Hamzeh, Helen Stead, Dianne Gamage and Helen Keogh (a former NIST teacher now

working at the International School of Vientiane.

Upon arrival the group headed straight to the local market in Savannkhet to purchase 40

uniforms, sets of textbooks, stationary sets and backpack. The group stayed at Thasano

station with Dr Phoudalay Lathvilavong (the co-ordinator of Lotus in Laos). The first night

was spent bagging the supplies and matching uniforms sizes from an excel spread sheet with

those available at the market. The backpacks were filled with supplies and labelled with the

girls names and the mission of our visit was fast becoming a reality.

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Amelie Nadeau sharing resources developed by NIST

On the second day we packed into the back of a big truck, loaded the school supplies and

resources and drove for ninety minutes in the scorching heat until we reached the school

known as Nong Kalong School located 35kms from the city of Savannakhet. The time spent

in the back of that truck during the long dusty ride was insignificant compared to the sight of

eighty girls walking from all directions to greet us with warm smiles in the vacant, neglected

school yard. It was Saturday, a holiday and as requested by Dr Phoudalay all girls were told

to come and meet the teachers from Thailand.

The next few hours passed quickly as we moved between classrooms, sharing English lessons,

singing songs and incorporating the simple yet greatly appreciated resources we had

delivered to the school. In addition we distributed sixty kilos of much needed clothing

supplies to the girls and their families (the collection was co-ordinated by the teachers at

NIST).

David Garcia Fernandez with a captive classroom audience

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A memorable part of our visit to the school was meeting the new enrolment of Lotus girls and

distributing their schooling packs. The forty girls were recently chosen by the local village

chief as being economically disadvantaged and consequently unable to attend school. The

teachers were able to connect with the girls in the classroom through musical activities. It was

an unusual sight for the local villagers to see the school bursting with children hanging from

the outside windows and cramped into classrooms on a Saturday.

The next group of Lotus girls preparing for their educational journey

The object of the visit was twofold; to register 40 little girls from economically disadvantagedbackgrounds into school- this was achieved and secondly to reconnect with the original 44 Lotus girlswho will enter their secondary schooling in September- this was achieved.

The fact that eighty girls travelled six kilometres on foot and on hand tractor in dry conditions on aholiday is testament to the fact that education is highly valued by their families. To watch their smilesas they sang, danced, wrote their names and engaged with this energetic group of teachers within thewalls of their neglected classrooms was wonderful. The teachers are keen to continue theirinvolvement and are now evaluating ways to continue their connection with the girls. To conclude

with the words from Amelie To be honest....I had not measured the extent of this project andmeeting the people we did in Laos was a true honour. It makes me alive again and so I must thank theLotus girls for that.