Category: Technology

The current COVID-19 crisis has made it a real challenge for everyone to know how others are feeling, because our faces are mostly covered by masks.

Masks make it difficult to understand what people are saying, even for people with no hearing impairment. For people with a hearing impairment, who often rely on decoding facial expressions and are often skilled at lip reading, interacting with people wearing masks makes understanding how people feel and what they say even more challenging.

So, in celebration of the International Day of People with Disabilities the Australian Government through the BEQUAL programme launched an initiative to help people of all abilities to communicate – a fun lesson in basic Lao Sign Language!

Sign language is a way of communicating used by people who cannot hear well. Sign language implies using mainly hand gestures and movements, and also body language and facial expressions, instead of spoken words.

To commemorate the annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd, the Australian funded BEQUAL programme organized an online fun session to discover how to communicate and express ourselves using Lao Sign Language. Indeed, when we can’t see each other’s well-being behind the face masks, let’s learn how to check on each other with Sign language. “Are you Ok? Do you need help?”.

More than 50 colleagues from the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), the Australian Embassy and the BEQUAL programme joined the online session and were introduced to how people communicate who cannot hear. They discovered that Sign language is not universal; people who are poor or hard hearing from different countries speak different Sign languages. Lao has its own Sign language that was first created in 1993 and then revised in 2006. In 2013, the Lao Association for the Deaf was established. There are an estimated 80,000 deaf and hard of hearing people in the Lao PDR and less than 10 qualified interpreters in the country. The participants discovered basic Lao signs to communicate and express themselves. They learnt how to introduce themselves, created their personal sign for their name and how to start a conversation. And they could practice their new skills in breakout rooms. For some participants it was also an excellent way to learn Lao language!

Ajan Sophaphone Heuanglith was the teacher of that interactive session. Aj Sophaphone is quite famous these days as the woman who provides Sign language translation for the daily live-streamed COVID-19 updates from the Centre of Inforamtion and Education for Health. But even before becoming the interpreter of the Task Force announcements, she had been collaborating with the Ministry of Education and Sports. Following a training session organized in January 2021 by the Australian Embassy with support from BEQUAL, the Information and Media Centre and E-learning teams from MoES decided to include sign language dubbing to all the teacher training videos and documentaries produced with the BEQUAL programme. The objective was to ensure that people with hearing impairment could have access to these important educational materials.

Inclusive education is a core priority for the Ministry of Education as well as the Australian Government. Under the 9th ESSDP, MoES has committed to decreasing disparities that arise from disadvantage, including disability. Through the BEQUAL programme, Australia has been working closely with the MoES to ensure new primary and pre-service curriculum materials are inclusive and represent all Lao people, including children and teachers with disabilities.

The new primary curriculum materials increased the focus on inclusive education in all teacher support materials including teacher guides, teacher support packs, teacher training videos and teacher orientation workshops.

The new national primary curriculum is being taught in specialist schools for children who are deaf or have hearing impairment via skilled teachers who teach in Lao Sign language.

The revised pre-service curriculum taught in the Teacher Training Colleges to future primary school teachers now includes a module on Inclusive Education that covers key inclusion topics and issues and better equips teachers to understand disability, social and gender inclusion. Australia, through the BEQUAL programme has also supported the Ministry with the development process of School Construction Guidelines that contain guidance on disability inclusive design and gender equity.

On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, let’s continue to advocate for more inclusion!

Source: Lao News Agency

COVID-19 has resulted in widespread disruption to people’s lives. Particularly, it has disrupted children’s learning due to the closing of schools.

Realizing the need and urgency to ‘keep girls in the picture’, UNDP Lao PDR and UNESCO, in partnership with the Ministry and Information, Culture and Tourism (MICT), and Plan International Laos, today launched a project on “Championing girls’ and women’s education in COVID-19 recovery through community radio in the Lao PDR”.

The project was launched with a training session for 30 young women community radio volunteers and community radio station staff from Nakai District in Khammouane, Houne District in Oudomxay, and Ta-Oi District in Salavan to train and mentor the participants on crafting key messages and radio programmes to challenge gender stereotypes and promote gender equality, and advocate for girls’ education.

Co-chaired by Mr. Somsavath Phongsa, Director General of Mass Media Department, MICT, and Mr. Seán O’Connell, Head of Governance Unit at UNDP, the training focuses on analyzing social and gender norms to promote girls’ education in rural communities.

The training aims to facilitate an understanding of the differences and similarities between genders, as well as exploring the social and cultural norms that colour our understanding of gender.

“This project will support community-led advocacy by young women and girls to ‘keep girls in the picture’ in COVID-19 education recovery efforts, resulting in the broadcasting of gender-responsive radio programming, including to rurally based people speaking ethnic languages”, said Mr. Somsavath Phongsa, Director General of Mass Media Department.

“Girls’ education is crucial for Laos to recover from COVID-19. Central to this will be reaching girls and young boys in rural and remote areas from different ethnic groups. UNDP’s ‘Enhancing People’s Participation through Community Radio’ project is the perfect vehicle for this initiative. We are delighted to partner with MICT, UNESCO and PLAN to contribute to the empowerment of young girls and women,” said Mr. Seán O’Connell, Head of Governance Unit at UNDP.

Under the Community Radio project, MICT and UNDP have increased access to information for rural and remote communities, including through local languages. The project has helped to communicate key messages on safe migration, COVID-19 prevention, combatting gender-based violence and agricultural development to 12 communities across the country. UNDP and MICT welcome opportunities to explore collaboration with new partners to strengthen and grow community radios in the Lao PDR.

Source: Lao News Agency

U.S. Ambassador Peter M. Haymond handed over 93 containers of fortified rice, lentils, canned fish and fortified cooking oil to Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Sisouk Vongvichith at the World Food Programme’s (WFP) warehouse in Vientiane on Tuesday.

The food will be used to prepare healthy school lunches for 63,000 school children across the Lao PDR.

Since 2008, the U.S. government’s McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Programme, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has been supporting the WFP school meal programme in Laos, with contributions totaling approximately USD85 million.

The current donation consists of 1,300 metric tons of fortified rice, 230 metric tons of lentils, 130 metric tons of canned fish and 110 metric tons of fortified cooking oil.

The food will be used to cook school lunches for school children in 718 primary schools in 18 priority districts identified by the Ministry of Education and Sports, where many children would otherwise attend school on an empty stomach.

The meals will be complemented with community and school garden contributions consisting of eggs, vegetables and leafy greens.

The support to schools comes in the form of a holistic package of services. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), WFP provides a package of school health and nutrition services, including school meals, installation of safe school water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, supporting communities to build dining rooms, storage facilities and kitchens, setting up school gardens, community green houses and fishponds, as well as running literacy activities. WFP also provides agricultural and policy support to communities and authorities.

“The success of school meals is evident. A few weeks ago, WFP handed over the schools under the previous, U.S.–supported school meals programme to the Ministry of Education and Sports. We are confident that this programme supports the health and education of Lao youth,” said U.S. Ambassador Haymond.

School feeding enhances enrollment rates and helps children stay in school longer. Investing in children’s nutrition, health and education during the middle childhood years, and sustaining this into adolescence, will help children to reach their full potential and build human capital, become productive adults and break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. With the help of healthy meals, families and communities start to see the benefits of school, which helps to reduce poverty in the long term.

For the first time, WFP is using fortified rice for its school meals programme. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are added to the rice, which has no effect on taste, but has a big impact on helping to eradicate all forms of malnutrition. Together with the Ministry of Health, WFP is currently working on local production of fortified rice in Laos, with the aim of providing such rice to school children towards the mid-point of the current school feeding project.

“A fully nationally-run school meal programme is our goal,” said WFP Country Director and Representative Jan Delbaere. “In times of fiscal difficulties due to COVID-19, we are happy to see the Government of the Lao PDR dedicated to continue working with us to reach this joint goal. Prioritising children to return to school, and using schools as platforms for improving health and nutrition is the key for a stronger next generation,” he said.

Source: Lao News Agency

The government has issued a notice easing anti-Covid-19 restrictions by allowing schools and educational institutes across the country to resume face-to-face teaching and learning.

Under the notice signed on Nov 14 by the Prime Minister’s Office, international, local and traditional land and water border checkpoints will remain closed from Nov 15 onwards.

Any meetings or gatherings with more than 50 participants are prohibited including religious festivals, wedding ceremonies and festive parties. Should any individuals or organizations, including government agencies, wish to hold a conference or gathering, they must request permission from the Covid-19 Taskforce.

Tourist and visitor visas will not be issued to foreigners, however diplomatic personnel, employees of international organizations, experts, and investors with an urgent requirement to enter the country will be granted entry but must comply with all Covid-19 prevention measures issued by the government.

Entertainment venues, cinemas, spas, karaoke bars, pubs, internet cafes, snooker halls, casinos and games shops must remain closed.

Factories and industrial plants in areas with community spread must be closed except those authorized by the Covid-19 Taskforce and the factories that produce consumer goods, medicines or medical equipment and comply strictly with Covid-19 prevention measures.

As for areas with community infections, massage parlours, spas and beauty parlours must be closed along with barbershops, cinemas, food gardens, and tourist sites as well as indoor and outdoor sports facilities.

Sports competitions and exercises at public parks are also banned.

Local citizens and all nationalities living in or entering the Lao PDR are required to install a smart phone application LaoKYC which can be used to register for Lao Susu services and apply for Vaccine ID which can be used as proof of vaccination and risk status when visiting public offices, factories, shops, restaurants, among others.

Source: Lao News Agency

Competing with 438 projects from 238 universities and AUF member institutions in 60 countries, the project proposed by the Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Health Sciences of Lao PDR, has been selected for funding from a special COVID-19 fund worth 1.2 million euros.

This initiative proposes to explore the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the quality and safety of nursing care in Vientiane Capital’s central and field hospitals through a multidisciplinary approach.

This project was initiated by the University of Health Sciences of Lao PDR, Faculty of Nursing Sciences, in partnership with the Institute of Research and Education Department and the Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, under the supervision of the Institute of Research and Development and in coordination with the Pierre Fabre Foundation, received funding of 20,000 euros.

It was based on the observation that, during a health crisis such as the current Covid19, health professionals, and more particularly nurses, were on the front line. The emergency of a new pandemic puts these professionals to a severe challenge. In Laos, nurses were requisitioned to take charge of Covid19 cases without specific training. They had to face a new and stressful situation in an unknown context.

It therefore seemed important to the Faculty of Nursing Sciences to step back from this experience and evaluate the impact of Covid19 in order to document and analyse the nurses’ knowledge, practices, adaptations and experiences and identify the needs and impact on their daily lives; rethink practices based on the results in the development of new management guidelines and anxiety reduction workshops and disseminate the data in an innovative format.

Finally, this research project consists of documenting the impact of the Covid19 pandemic on nurses (knowledge, skills, management, mental load and psychological and social impact) and has the following expected results: a better knowledge of the pathology for a better quality of care in complete safety; a relativization of stressful and risky situations; a reinforcement of the skills of the Faculty of Nursing Sciences.

This project will have a national impact, with the publication of new care guidelines adapted to the Lao context while taking care of the nursing staff and raising the awareness of the population through a wide and innovative dissemination of the results.

Following this call of proposals, 56 projects led by 52 higher education institutions from 37 countries will be funded for a period of 12 months, and their implementation will begin, for some, as of December 2021.

All eligible applications were evaluated by committees of experts attached to the 10 AUF regional offices on five continents. The AUF thus intends to reaffirm the central place of universities in the global development of societies and to pursue its advocacy actions in favor of a greater recognition of the role of Francophone education and higher education as a response to global challenges.

Source: Lao News Agency

A new platform helps to strengthen people’s access to legal advice and advance digitalization in the Lao PDR.

After a year of development, the Digital Legal Aid Platform of Lao PDR is completed and launched to provide and legal advice to ordinary Lao people, especially vulnerable groups and people living in remote areas of the country.

The Platform aims to increase people’s access to legal aid services provided by Legal Aid Offices of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and the Justice Departments in provinces throughout the country, which is being piloted in four provinces for now such as Xiengkhoung, Savannakhet, Attapeu and Sekong.

The government’s Decree on Legal Aid, No.77/Gov, guides on the establishment of Legal Aid Offices, and strengthening their legal aid services and procedures.

Digital Legal Aid Platform is contributing to the implementation of this Decree and in line with the government plan to enhance digital working systems.

Today at the launching ceremony of the Digital Legal Aid Platform, Bountha Songyerthao, Vice Minister of Justice explained the importance of Digital Legal Aid platform to the justice system of the Lao PDR, especially to service the needs of disadvantaged groups who are far to reach for legal aid services. “Digital Legal Aid Launching is just the beginning, challenges remain for us to solve to ensure accessibility, quality and sustainability of legal aid services,” Digital Legal Aid Platform comes as one of solutions to these challenges, Vice Minister of Justice concluded.

Ms. Catherine Phuong, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Lao PDR congratulates the Lao government, in particular, MOJ on its commitment to move towards e-governance and e-services. She emphasized, “Digital Legal Aid is an opportunity to strengthen legal aid service provision for vulnerable and hard to reach groups. In particular, the mobile applications and chat functions, or possibly in future using A.I. powered “chatbots” like in many other countries, creates a great opportunity for Lao peoples to seek legal advice for the first time”

UNDP and MOJ will continue to work together on the improvement of the Platform and strengthening capacity of the Legal Aid Offices, the expansion of Digital Legal Aid Platform to other Legal Aid Offices is also being considered following the completion of the pilot phase.

This Digital Legal Aid was produced to be a user-friendly digital legal aid platform by providing guideline for both service providers and users, as well as introduction video for simple steps on access and choices for seeking for legal assistance. Users, Inter alia, will find legal aid service information, contact details of Legal Aid Offices, can send request for legal aid online and receive interactive legal counseling online in form of “Chat”. The Digital Legal Aid Platform can access through this website: https://legal-aid.moj.gov.la/

Source: Lao News Agency