Out at the RTC it is as busy as ever, with patients calling in from the surrounding villages to receive treatment. Due to a recent termite infestation, SEDA is supporting the construction of a new patients building for the RTC. The construction of the building is around 85% complete. The doors are finished but the painting, gutters and floor tiles still need a little work. We are also waiting on new beds for the patients. Once this construction is complete we are hoping to get the water treatment installed as soon as we can in order to complete the patient’s building. We are looking for more funding to successfully install the water treatment facility, so we urge donors to continue their support in order for us to meet our deadline by the end of this year. The seasons are changing and around June it will become monsoon season which will last until late October, so there may be some delays with construction and the roads leading to the RTC may become muddy like a swamp and impossible to drive on. The electricity in the RTC is around 95% complete, after creating a new electricity supply from the main road 4km away. We were anticipating these projects to be completed in March, but due to some delays caused by problems with local builders, having to hire a new local contractor and waiting for parts to be shipped from Thailand, we estimate that the redevelopment project will be complete by the end of the year. Funds for these projects are coming from the generous donations of private donors, patient funding, microfinance programs and the RTC budget. SEDA urge all donors to continue their much appreciated support.

To support RTC’s ongoing delivery of health services please visit:

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/clean-water-and-equipment-for-health-centre/

In order to fulfill SEDA’s goal of publishing 10,000 books for children, we need the approval of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture. It costs USD$2.50 to publish each book and deliver it to the each child. Advocacy and lobbying work such as this takes a long time in Laos and costs a lot of money, but we will not give up and will hopefully continue to publish these extra 5000 books to reach our goal as soon as we can in order to educate the children and improve literacy. At the present time the advocacy and lobbying with the government is about 80% complete. Introducing children to well written, fun and educational books will help teach them to read, and inspire them to read more. The books will also help to teach children English. SEDA and partners cannot wait to pass these books out to the children. With your much appreciated continued support and with the addition of new supporters we can achieve higher literacy rates in Laos and make the children’s dreams come true.

Please visit out Global Giving webpage for more information and to show your support for this important program:

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/publishing-a-book-for-children-in-laos/

Students at school in the village