Mr Thasphorn Butaling (left) and Mr Bounchan Chayesan shake hands after signing an MOU on a rural livelihood support project.

New Zealand funds project to build resilience of disadvantaged communities

The New Zealand government has approved NZD1.8 million (around US$1million) in financing for a project that will help vulnerable communities in Laos to cope with harsh economic shocks and learn ways to adapt.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the project was signed in Vientiane on Friday by Oxfam’s Country Director in Laos, Mr Thasphorn Butsaling, and the Head of Office of the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU), Mr Bounchan Chayesan. 
The event was also attended by LFTU Vice President Mr Vilay Vongkhaseum, Oxfam staff, and LFTU officials. 
The project is being implemented in 100 villages of 16 districts in Vientiane Capital and the provinces of Oudomxay, Xayaboury, Bokeo and Vientiane from March 2024 to June 2025.
The project partners are Oxfam, LFTU, the Community Health and Including Association, the Community Association for Knowledge in Development, the Informal Worker Advancement Association, and the Gender Development Association.
The project will help disadvantaged or vulnerable communities, especially women living in disadvantaged communities, to be more resilient in the face of livelihood disruption, and to sustain income sources so they suffer less economic and societal harm.
The aims of the initiative are to build capacity to create an economy and provide economic capital and basic livelihood improvement packages to disadvantaged households, alongside training that will build capacity to organise, implement, and provide funds to rebuild small-scale infrastructure.
A report issued in 2022 by the Department of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning and Investment indicated that the price of food, transportation, medical equipment, medicine and fuel had increased significantly over the past year.
Households in vulnerable rural areas in Laos are affected by increases in the price of agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and fuel, meaning that agricultural production is depressed, which affects the 64 percent of the population whose income is sourced solely from farming.
Therefore, there is an urgent need to support the most vulnerable people and to build strong communities that can weather economic downturns.
Oxfam and the LFTU have been working together for the past 20 years in the field of worker protection, with both organisations having similar goals in terms of social assistance, especially the social welfare of workers, and helping them to receive a reasonable wage.
Through the execution of various projects, Oxfam has helped the LFTU to strengthen communities so they are able to improve their standard of living.
During these 20 years, Oxfam has sourced funding of four million euros to support the LFTU’s implementation of various projects related to the community livelihood improvements around the country. 

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update April 30, 2024)