SAE LAO is a sustainable development project located in Nathong Village, near the city of Vang Vieng, Laos.
The project aims to achieve the following:
- Provide free English classes for the community.
- Create high-quality employment opportunities, including job training.
- Model sustainable technologies and practices.
- Create meaningful cultural exchange through a volunteer program.
- Offer sustainable market alternatives such as a farm-to-table restaurant and sustainable building practices.
- Involve locals in the project as leaders, employees, students, teachers, consumers, and idea-generators.
In 2024 I spent 2 weeks at Sae Lao. The program runs an extremely effective volunteer program that draws in hundreds of volunteers every year.
The main endeavour of the project is to provide English classes within 3 schools for children of various ages. Monday to Thursday we would prepare the days lessons and then present the class as an elective, after regular school hours. Friday is game day, which is everybody’s favourite, and this involves bringing games in for the children.
As the classes only take place in the afternoons, the morning involves other activities that support the community. During my time I was lucky enough to:
- Assist with the renovation of the school facilities
- Plan and build a new compost area
- Work in the volunteer garden
- Plan a build a recycle centre at the local restaurant run by Sae Lao
- Provide general maintenance around the restaurant and volunteer facilities
The team does a great job of providing roles for everyone, no matter what your skill set is. I have a construction background which was reflected in the jobs I chose.
The beauty of the surrounding area was completely unexpected. The lagoons, caves and viewpoints are absolutely stunning and I regularly made the hike up for sunrise and sunset.
If you’re looking for a well organised program, where you can make a big impact in the local community, then reach out to Peter and the team at https://www.saelaoproject.com/