Why more young Singaporeans are volunteering in ‘unfamiliar’ Laos

VIENTIANE: Despite not knowing much about Laos, undergraduate Erwin Soh still took a leap of faith, heading over for 17 days to help out at a local school.
From May to June, the second-year computing student at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) taught and built infrastructure at Sanot Primary School in a village in capital Vientiane.
The 22-year-old is among Singaporean youths who have in recent times made Southeast Asia’s only landlocked country their destination of choice for volunteer work.
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong observed during a visit to Vientiane earlier in October that many student groups from visit Laos for such community efforts, as part of “growing people-to-people ties that anchor” the friendship between the two countries.
There has been “rising interest in volunteerism in Laos, with it being one of the most popular destinations for Singaporean youth, even more so than Cambodia and the Philippines”, said Ms Joyce Yu, head of international programmes at non-profit YMCA of Singapore.
Laos is seen by youths as an “intriguing and mysterious” destination as it is relatively less known, she told CNA.
“At the same time, schools find it a safe destination for volunteerism,” she noted.
Her organisation runs projects across Southeast Asia and in China and Nepal.
It first began efforts in Laos in 2011. This year, the country accounted for one-third of YMCA Singapore’s overseas trips, with more than 200 youths venturing there a total of 10 times.
For 19-year-old Riley Kang from Singapore Polytechnic’s school of electrical and electronic engineering, Laos’ appeal was in its rich cultural heritage and complex history.
“As one of the most heavily bombed countries in history, Laos still grapples with limited infrastructure and the dangers of unexploded ordnance in rural areas.”
Last month, the 19-year-old spent two weeks in Phuanmit School in Oudomxay, a province in the northwest of the country, where she taught students and helped improve its facilities.
Ms Kang said she also wanted to understand and serve communities beyond Singapore.
“Having participated in local community service, I wanted to broaden my perspective and experience how other countries tackle unique challenges, particularly in a developing nation like Laos, where access to basic services and infrastructure is limited.”
Mr Soh from NUS also described Laos as a “unique opportunity for cultural exchange”, since many are not familiar with the country.
NUS social work department lecturer Zheng Liren told CNA that volunteering in another society can help people “reconsider their values, ways of doing things and learn to become more flexible, adaptable and open to new ideas and opportunities”.
And people-to-people ties are strengthened when Singaporean youths learn more about their Southeast Asian neighbours, while collaborating across their diverse cultures and languages, he added.
Volunteer efforts in Laos typically involve trying to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in local schools, while raising awareness of environmental sustainability,
Under Project Sabaidee by NUS’ King Edward VII Hall, which Mr Soh was part of, construction work was done to improve Sanot Primary School’s safety and sanitation. This included building a toilet, hand-washing areas and a fence, he said.
The volunteers also gave out educational materials and taught English, mathematics and environment-related topics under the project, now in its fifth year.
YMCA of Singapore also supports environmental education for primary and secondary school students in Luang Prabang city, said Ms Yu.
Volunteers help locals set up composting sites and waste collection points, while raising awareness about the dangers of waste incineration.
The Singaporean volunteers however initially faced difficulties communicating with Laotian students who were welcoming but not fluent in English.
In Mr Soh’s case, local volunteers recruited by Laotian partner Rise Development Community Club thus had to step in to work with their Singaporean counterparts in every class, to ensure learning materials were translated and conveyed to the students.
Ms Kang from Singapore Polytechnic said the situation “forced us to think on our feet, be adaptable and patient, and rely on non-verbal communication such as hand gestures, drawings, and demonstrations”.
Her team also learnt basic Laotian phrases, which helped build mutual respect and deeper connections with their hosts.
Apart from language barrier issues, the rural schools also lacked access to digital tools typically used in Singapore, such as the game-based learning platform Kahoot!.
Mr Soh’s team hence had to think out of the box to engage the students beyond textbooks, while utilising the limited resources at hand.
While learning about upcycling, for instance, students turned plastic bottles into piggy banks and old newspapers into paper bowls.
The NUS team also improvised by using laminated paper as a reusable whiteboard.
Ms Yu, meanwhile, added that the terrain in certain areas in Laos also made transportation and logistics difficult for YMCA’s volunteer teams, which then had to seek help from local partners.
Under NUS’ Project Sabaidee, Laotian teachers have shown interest in adopting Singaporean techniques to make classrooms livelier and more interactive, said Mr Soh.
The team will be making another trip there in May 2025, to build a nursery with a view to helping kids progress more smoothly to the primary school level.
The end of each trip doesn’t mean the end of the friendships and bonds formed between both sides.
“We follow each other on social media platforms such as Instagram, and we continue to keep in touch in the group chat, sharing photos and texting each other,” said Mr Soh.
His team also hosts their Laotian peers when they visit Singapore.
Ms Kang, too, uses social media to stay updated on the lives of her Laotian students.
“This connection makes me hopeful that I will one day return to continue supporting their growth.”