WELCOME – Sponsoring a LEOT student
A few words about LEOT and our student sponsorship scheme:
LEOT is a UK Registered Charity formed in 2006 with the objective of enabling
disadvantaged students aged sixteen and over to receive further education. Through
individual sponsorships we currently support 23 students who study in Luang Prabang and
Vientiane at a range of institutions including Teacher’s Training College and the National
University.
At all levels of the organisation, LEOT values the variety of support provided by our
sponsors. We have assisted several students to gain qualifications in professions that
include Dentistry, Environmental Studies, IT, Teaching, Accountancy and Law. We are
equally proud of our students who have attained qualifications in trades and crafts
and number among our alumni Electricians and Plumbers. When a LEOT student goes
on to higher education through sponsorship, they are not left to cope in isolation. We
are on hand to help in times of difficulty by providing ongoing support and advice and
we audit student performance and examination results.
Although Laos is well recognised as experiencing modest development, the indicators
of widespread poverty – poor infrastructure, health and infant mortality - both in rural
and urban areas, remains high, and whilst many of our sponsors come from different
countries around the world, we ensure that 100% of scholarship donations are spent in
Laos.
As a sponsor of a LEOT student you naturally have some choice in the level of
involvement you wish to have with students as they proceed through higher education
– for example, giving sponsorship preference to a female student.
Facts about sponsorship at LEOT
Benefits to UK tax payers in sponsoring a student with LEOT
Lao Educational Opportunities Trust (LEOT) is a charity, registered in the United
Kingdom (UK Charity Number: 1115944). The donations that the charity receives from
UK tax payers are effectively increased by a tax scheme that operates in the UK
called Gift Aid tax. We receive an extra 25% for each donation – which makes
donations to LEOT go further.
What should you consider?
Sponsorship is different to a one-off donation….
Academic courses run for either three or four years. This requires a long term
commitment from you if you are thinking about sponsoring a LEOT student through
their higher education years. Please think carefully about this – half a qualification is
no more useful than no qualification at all!
It is also worth bearing in mind that inflation in Laos is currently running at about 6%
and costs may increase over the period of your sponsorship of a student.
Not all students are able to complete their course either because of the intervention
of family matters or an inability to achieve the standards set to complete their
professional or trade qualification. Such situations happen everywhere and although
selection for courses is gained on merit, as we all know, life is not perfect!
The opportunities for girls to achieve further education are far more limited than for
boys. This is generally due to family pressures and expectations and fewer girls than
boys complete their high school education. LEOT actively seeks as many opportunities
as possible to promote the sponsorship of girls to not only help balance an inequitable
situation but to reduce the pressure on families to send their daughters into early
employment to help the family economy. We are already proud of our achievements
in this area and a number of our highest achievers at University are girls sponsored by
LEOT.
Please do not offer more than you can comfortably afford but please do consider that
what you can afford will make a lifelong difference to a young Lao person.
Sponsorship Costs
Further education courses in Laos comprise a two semester year. Students typically
study for between three and five hours per day. The system of rotating tuition means
that students have spare time for private study or for part time work. We believe it is
important that students invest in their future success by working to pay for their food
and lodgings. The opportunities for girls living away from home are, however, more
limited than for boys. We therefore look for sponsors who will provide girls with not
only tuition support but with assistance with accommodation (dormitory style and
very reasonable) costs. The cost of further education varies widely depending on the
career path that the student will enter upon completion of studies and we ensure that
we match sponsors with students based on the sponsor’s budget.
Typical costs (US$) are:
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Teacher Training College
University
National University (Vientiane)
$400 per annum
$700 pa
$1200 to $1500 pa
Other costs (US$) to consider (optional):
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Dormitory fees
Food
Books and study materials
Annual travel to home village
Internship (final year requirement)
$250 pa
$250 pa
$60 to $100 pa
$50 to $100 pa
$50 to $150
We hope you will consider participating in this most worthwhile education program.
Our contact details:
LEOT
Ban Phan Luang
PO Box 615
Luang Prabang – Laos
Tel: +856 30 988 7088
Email:
info@leot.org.uk
Website: www.leot.org.uk