Sponsor one of our students
Let Laos Learn strives for a quality life for Lao children. You can help us to reach this by sponsoring a child.
Do you want to make a difference for boys and girls in Laos? Would you like to give your support a personal touch? Then our Sponsorship program is perfect for you! While you are paying a monthly contribution to sponsor a child, you can build a personal relationship.Write him or her regularly, get to know each other and send pictures. Even a visit is possible.
What happens with your contribution?
A small amount already makes a world of difference in Laos. You contribute 5 euros a month. Your contribution does not end up directly with your sponsored child but with the community center where he or she is active. A community center is not built for one child but for all the children and youngsters in the surrounding. This way your sponsorship gets twice as much impact.
We want to offer a diverse program in this community center. We focus primarily on activities to which children and young people in Laos have no access. Activities that may be obvious to us. Your support goes to the annual costs of this community center. In this way we can bear the costs related to it. Few examples of these costs are:
We want to offer a diverse program in this community center. We focus primarily on activities to which children and young people in Laos have no access. Activities that may be obvious to us. Your support goes to the annual costs of this community center. In this way we can bear the costs related to it. Few examples of these costs are:
- Salary for the local teachers
- Maintenance costs (electricity, water, ...)
- Administration costs such as copies for the lesson or participant lists
- Materials such as books for the English lesson, a music installation for the dance classes, craft materials for the crea activities, etc.
- The construction of a sports field next to the center
- ......
DOES MY SPONSORED CHILD KNOW WHO I AM?
Your sponsored child will receive your name and country as standard. We will never pass on other contact details. So it is up to you to choose how much information you exchange and what you want to share.
CAN I WRITE MY SPONSORED CHILD?
Of course! Is this an obligation? No, it is not an obligation.
Through letters, drawings and photos you get to know each other and a nice bond is built. The communication takes place via a platform that LLL Belgium ir providing for you. This to protect both the sponsors and children.
You don't need to speak or write Laotian for this. We do, however, strongly recommend that all communication is done in English. Our local team has sufficient knowledge of this language to translate everything.
Do you want to send a package? No problem! we ask you to contactt the coordinator first and you will receive instructions on how to do this correctly. Keep in mind that this can take a while and that there are costs involved.
Through letters, drawings and photos you get to know each other and a nice bond is built. The communication takes place via a platform that LLL Belgium ir providing for you. This to protect both the sponsors and children.
You don't need to speak or write Laotian for this. We do, however, strongly recommend that all communication is done in English. Our local team has sufficient knowledge of this language to translate everything.
Do you want to send a package? No problem! we ask you to contactt the coordinator first and you will receive instructions on how to do this correctly. Keep in mind that this can take a while and that there are costs involved.
CAN I VISIT MY SPONSORED CHILD?
Yes, a visit is also possible, but keep in mind, this requires a lot of organization. So be sure to read how everything works.
- Plan your visit and inform the coordinator at least 2 months in advance. Together we will see if your visit is practically feasible. After all, there is a lot of planning and organization involved. For example, we must take holiday periods in Laos into account.
- Once you have received an approval from us, you can proceed to plan your trip. We will provide you with all necessary information regarding the project: a detailed route description, who you are going to meet at what time and where, contact details, etc. For questions about your travel route, hotel reservations and flights, you can undoubtedly contact your travel agent.
- The visit will always take place in our center. Of course you can count on the guidance of our team and our volunteers on site. For example, they can help with translation. Visits can never take place in the house of the child. A visit lasts a maximum of 1 day. You will also have the opportunity to visit the center, attend activities and possibly go and see other projects in the area. A unique opportunity to witness how your contribution makes a difference.
- An unforgettable meeting obiously includes photos and a report. Send us the story of your visit and we will share it with other sponsors, on our website and on Facebook.
CAN I CHOOSE MY CHILD PERSONALLY?
For us, every child is equal, so we do not let sponsors "choose" their children.
I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A SPONSOR, WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
Your sponsorship is € 60 per year which is a only € 5 per month. We ask you to pay annually (monthly is administratively not feasible for our volunteers)
CAN I SEND A GIFT?
Gifts can cause tensions with other children or families in the community. We want to avoid this. Especially because the projects of Let Laos Learn involve the entire community. Do you want to do your sponsored child a favor? Send a letter, drawing, card or photo.
You could possibly send a gift that would benefit the operation of the entire center in Vang Vieng. Or you make an extra donation and our local team makes a purchase on site. That way you also support a local business and you increase your impact again. Contact the coordinator of the sponsorship program in case you want to do this.
You could possibly send a gift that would benefit the operation of the entire center in Vang Vieng. Or you make an extra donation and our local team makes a purchase on site. That way you also support a local business and you increase your impact again. Contact the coordinator of the sponsorship program in case you want to do this.
CAN I CANCEL MY SPONSORSHIP?
We work with annual payments, it is possible to stop your support after the end of each year.
Give us a call (or mail). We ensure that your file is closed and that your child can be supported by another sponsor.
Give us a call (or mail). We ensure that your file is closed and that your child can be supported by another sponsor.
ETHICAL CODE
- Let Laos Learn is a recognized international non-governmental organization striving to improve the life of children and youngsters in Laos. Therefore the organization has built a community centre in Vang Vieng. Free English classes are offered next to creative workshops and sport activities such as football, basketball and dancing. The sponsorship programme is focusing on the children and youngsters who are an active member of this centre.
- Your contribution will be used to invest in the community centre mentioned above. More specifically, your money can be used to cover overhead expenses such as electricity but also for buying materials for a workshop. It can even be used to pay for copies needed during an English class. This way your contribution will not only benefit the child you are sponsoring but an entire community.
- The contribution is set at € 5 a month. Due to administrative reasons we kindly ask you to pay this on a yearly base. So, at the start of your sponsorship you pay € 60. In other words, you engage yourself for a period of one year.
- After 11 months you will receive, by mail, a reminder that your sponsorship has almost reached an end. You will have to enter your personal file to prolong your support. This is not done automatically.
- Stopping your support prematurely is possible by sending an email to the coordinator of the sponsorship programme. In this mail your personal code (which you will receive after payment) should be mentioned clearly together with the reason why. This however doesn’t mean you’re entitled to receive a (pro rata) reimbursement.
- The minimal contribution is set at € 60 a year but you can opt to donate more. Sponsoring multiple children is an option as well.
- Your contribution is tax-deductible. You will receive the tax certificate automatically by mail. No further action is required.
- All your personal data will be treated confidential and in accordance to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). The information given will only be used for this sponsorship programme and will not be provided to third parties.
- It is up the sponsor to inform us about changes in the personal data that were provided (e.g. change in address). This can be done by sending an email to the coordinator.
- It is not possible for the sponsor to ask for a certain age or gender. We strongly believe that every child or youngster in our community centre is equal and therefore deserves the same opportunities. The matching between a sponsor and a child will happen randomly.
- We encourage both parties to establish a good relation (for example by writing each other) but this is no obligation. Once a year the sponsor will receive an update about the situation in Laos.
- Let Laos Learn is providing a secured digital platform for the communication between both parties. This has to be used in order to protect the privacy of both the sponsor and the child.
- Let Laos Learn permits the following communication:
- Writing emails
- Sending pictures or drawings
- Sending parcels
- Visits (on our website you can find the terms and conditions for this)
- The main language is English. Our local team is mastering this language sufficiently to translate your message. In other words, your message will be read by our local team. For us this is a mean to control the content of the messages. We don’t tolerate abuse of any kind, expressions of racism, inappropriate language and explicit pictures. In case we notice this, your sponsorship will be ended immediately.
- An answer to your message is guaranteed within 2 weeks. Except for the school holidays (it is possible that the child is visiting family in other parts of the country) and when the centre is closed. If this is the case you will be notified.
- Writing letters is allowed. Shipping costs are at the expense of the sponsor. We don’t want to impose these costs to our members so the letter will be answered digitally. Letters have to be sent to our local office in Vang Vieng and will be given to the children by our local team. The address can be obtained by sending an email to the coordinator. Keep in mind that sending a letter takes some time and that there is always the possibility it will never arrive.
- The same rules apply to sending a parcel. Please, take into consideration that a personal gift can evoke jealousy or rivalry. As an alternative, you can send a gift for the community centre instead. Feel free to inform yourself about the needs in the centre by sending the coordinator an email.
- Handle all the personal information of your child with care. Think twice before you share something (photos) on social media.
- Feel free to share all your suggestions and remarks with us. Let Laos Learn is always looking for improvement. Never hesitate to contact the coordinator, even not with complaints.
- Let Laos Learn retains the right to change these terms and conditions. In case this happens, all parties involved will be notified by mail.