10 April 2008
Australia supports improved livelihoods of ethnic communities in Laos
The Australian Government is funding Care Australia to work with the Government of Laos, Swiss Foundation for Demining (FSD) and World Food Program to help reduce the risk of Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) and improve the livelihoods of ethnic communities in Sekong Province.
An MOU agreement was signed between CARE International and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare at the Settha Palace Hotel in Vientiane today to formalise the program. Activities will commence immediately.
With a budget of more than $3 million, the project is expected to run for five years.
Under the program CARE International will partner with FSD and the World Food Program to conduct activities including construction of village access tracks, fish ponds, small-scale irrigation systems and water supply. It will also work with a number of ethnic groups including Talieng, Alak and Nge.
The Swiss Foundation for Demining will undertake UXO roving and clearance tasks in 20 targeted villages in the Dak Cheung and Lamam districts of Sekong province.
The activities are based on community-identified priorities with specific activities to help reduce the workload of women and increase basic language and literacy skills. The project will also work with communities and local authorities to better understand and manage rapid development changes due to take place in Sekong.
Michael Hassett, First Secretary (Development Cooperation), Australian Embassy, attended the signing ceremony. Mr Hassett stressed the importance of integrating UXO action with broader poverty reduction activities. “UXO action on its own does not build sustainable livelihoods, by helping villages to make better use of cleared land we can improve income generation, access to services and increase the benefits of our activities”
The project is part of the Laos-Australia NGO Corporation Agreement (LANGOCA), a $14 million partnership between the Australian Government’s international aid agency, AusAID, and Australian non-government organisations CARE, Oxfam, Save the Children and World Vision.
The LANGOCA program is a significant part of Australia’s aid to Laos. Total Australian funding to Laos for 2007-08 is estimated to be $27.2 million, a 24 per cent increase over the previous year. Funds will support activities across a range of sectors including building human resources, promoting growth of the market economy and reducing the vulnerability of the poor.