Getting children inspired in Laos

A friend of mine has recently returned from one of her regular adventurous holidays, although she claims that about four holidays a year is "not much". This time she went to Cambodia and Laos and found the experience profoundly moving. While in Laos she visited a unique publisher, Big Brother Mouse. This is a not for profit publisher that produces fiction books in the Lao language so that children can be inspired to read.

By Rama - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, Link


They also have reading programmes in schools, and they try to develop language skills of young people. You can read their story in this book. It is run entirely by Laotians, although the idea was that of a retired American Publisher. I and of the opinion that it is far, far better for children to read books in their first language, rather than being "donated" books in English that are surplus to our requirements in the more privileged nations.