VIENTIANE: The mid-term review of a Korean-Lao Integrated Rural Development Project in Champassak, Xekong, and Saravan provinces highlighted significant progress, as raised at an event in Champassak province on Monday (Dec 9).
Co-chaired by the Deputy Director of the Department of Rural Development, Veomany Thepphavong, and the President of the Korea Institute of Rural Development, Dr Chung Ki-Whan, the meeting was attended by 120 participants.
Participants included representatives from the Lao-Korea Rural Development Training Center, deputy directors of Agriculture and Forestry Offices from three provinces, deputy district governors from four target districts, provincial and district project Coordinators, village leaders, model farmers, experts, and project staff.
With US$9 million in support from South Korea, the project has improved village infrastructure, water systems, and livelihoods in 20 villages across the Bachiengchaleunsouk, Pakxong, Thataeng, and Lao-gnam districts.
Since its implementation in 2022, the project has addressed community needs through various initiatives, focusing on infrastructure development, income generation, capacity building, and village empowerment.
Key achievements include the improvement of the living environment by constructing 70.9 km of village roads, surpassing an initial target of 63.7 km, with an additional 41.1 km in progress, the building of 17 out of 18 planned village halls, improvements of irrigation systems in three villages, installation of clean water systems in four villages, and the completion markets in nine villages as well as waste management facilities in all 20 villages.
On income generation initiatives, the project has distributed grass seeds to 159 families, covering 358.6 hectares (111 percent of its target) for cattle breeding, and supported four model cattle farms while providing materials for 496 greenhouses, with 349 constructed so far, and supplying 46,640 fruit tree seedlings for planting across 197 hectares as well as building two agricultural processing centres and three coffee processing facilities, all set to operate in 2025.
For capacity building and village empowerment, the project conducted 168 training sessions with 3,657 participants and 452 field training benefiting 9,775 people while organising village development units and providing US$15,000 in village development funds to sustain activities and support production loans.
With satisfaction rates exceeding 90 percent, the project has enhanced transportation, water supply, agricultural techniques, and economic opportunities.
Two villages in Saravan province have now been recognised as small townships under government guidelines.
This initiative hopes to contribute significantly to rural development and poverty reduction. The next phase, set to be completed by 2025, aims to improve the livelihoods of local communities further. - Vientiane Times/ANN
