Today U.S. Ambassador to Lao PDR, Daniel Clune attended World Education’s signature ceremony of seven sub-grants totaling $1,575.000 million dollars to support four local and three international non-governmental organizations strengthen the disability sector and to provide direct assistance to some of the estimated 150,000 people in Lao PDR who live with a disability.
“The support provided by the American people will help people with disabilities lead healthier and more productive lives enabling them to contribute to the development of their communities,” said U.S. Ambassador to Lao PDR, Daniel A. Clune.
The sub-grants are part of a $5 million grant the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded to World Education Laos in September 2014. The project provides sub-grants to local and international non-profit organizations in four main areas: training medical and physical rehabilitation staff, increasing access to economic empowerment opportunities for people with disabilities and their families, providing assistive technology to people with disabilities, and improving availability of Medical and physical rehabilitation services. The goal of the project is to create a country where people with disabilities, especially women and girls are empowered and enabled to attain and maintain maximum independence to fully and equally participate in all aspects of life.
The first round of sub-grants of the TEAM project, will contribute to the training of 65 medical staff on early identification of children with impairment and implement screenings for over 900 individuals. It will also improve access to economic empowerment opportunities for over 530 persons with disability and their families. The project will deliver assistive devices for at least 375 persons with hearing, vision, intellectual, and physical impairments. Additionally it will provide psychosocial support, and basic physical therapy services for children with intellectual impairments, as well as funding for medical care.
There will be a further two rounds of sub-grants, one in June 2015 and the last in January 2016. Over the past 23 years World Education Laos has worked in a variety of sectors to: improve emergency medical care; deliver livelihood trainings and provide vocational opportunities; establish a rural savings and credit union; and, is considered a leader in mine action services such as its UXO education and awareness program delivered through 2,300 schools across 11 provinces and its integrated UXO victim assistance program. All of these programs aim to improve the lives of vulnerable populations in Laos.
“The TEAM Project will combine World Education’s successful experience in assisting UXO survivors and people with disabilities with our understanding of how to manage sub-grants, to build the capacity of local organizations, and to coordinate local and international organizations working for the same purpose” said Colette McInerney, Country Director, World Education Laos.
Lao Version (PDF 111KB)
