Annex 3
Information summaries on Phongsaly and Vientiane provinces

A.1 Information from Provincial Youth Union

• 14 450 Provincial Youth Union members (total number of youth not possible to estimate)
• 449 people (96 women) treated for drug addiction (2003-2004) and of those, 69 were aged 15
  to 35 (17 were women).

Youth concerns:

• Unemployment
• Insecure livelihoods
• Lack of parental support for education
• Lack of funds for youth to start activities
• Markets for products are not easily accessed

Future needs:

• To support youth to continue their studies at secondary level and university
• Agriculture training need assessment and provide training accordingly
• Establish a revolving fund

Projects supported by international donors

• There are many development projects in Phongsaly province with focus on food security and
  community development. Projects include: Phongsaly District Rural Development Project
  (CCL), Phongsaly Forest Conservation and Rural Development Boun Neua and Boun Tay
  districts (EU), North Phongsaly Alternative Development Project (UN), Integrated Poverty
  Project (GAA), Lao-America Development Project in Boun Neua District (US). Irrigation Project and Community Development Project (Quaker's Service), HIV/AIDS prevention programme in Phongsaly (UNICEF).

A.2 Information from Boun Neua district, Phongsaly province

• Total youth population 1 553 (643 women)
• 569 District Youth Union members (103 women)

Because they cannot read and write and live in remote mountainous areas, only about one-third of youth become members of LPRYU. The District LYU thinks that to secure food, people should focus on animal and crop production, but they lack technical guidance in agricultural production and funding to support project activities.

Ethnic minority vocational training centre

• 230 youth attend the vocational training centre each year (10 from each provincial district).
  The selection criteria for scholarships are: orphaned youth, the poorest, those who have
  completed primary or secondary school but have no job and ethic minorities living in
  mountainous areas.
• Training subjects:   The centre focuses on vocational skills like weaving, sewing, carpentry,
  cooking, handicraft; and general education; but no agriculture, so the curriculum is similar to
  primary school.
• Students in the centre are concerned they will not have funds to start a business if they
  complete the training.
• Proposal:

-	Vocational curriculum should include training on crop and livestock skills

• Youth expectations:

-	Study at college or university
-	Start a small business after graduation from their training

• Organizations supporting the training centre:

-	CWS, NPADP and Lao Red Cross

A.3 Information from four villages, Boun Neua district

In Ban Houy Kha, 82 households out of 101 are classified as rich. In Ban Houy Dong, 64 households out of 68 are classified as rich. In Ban Houy Jhong and Ban Mai, most of the households are classified as sufficient. The classification is based on rice sufficiency and other income. Three villages are near the town and people have arable land and access to irrigation. Ban Houy Kha, Ban Mai, and Houy Dong are located near Boun Neua district town and have more youth attending secondary school, then Ban Houy Jhong. In Ban Mai, youth population is 66, but the number attending secondary school is 90. The explanation is that all of the youth in the village are at the secondary school level, but those who are married are not counted as youth.

Concerns of youth at village level:

• Youth unemployment
• Youth help parents work the fields, limiting their chances/opportunities for higher education
• Limited education (as most youth complete only 1 or 2 years of primary school)
• Some completed secondary school but cannot attend vocational training centres or university
  as parents have no funds to support further study
• Limited number of vocational training centres.

What youth want to have:

• Revolving fund for youth development
• Sufficient income to survive
• Ensure their future by having more educational opportunities
• Scholarships for rural youth
• Vocational training in fields like animal husbandry
• Strengthened village sporting activities

B.1 General information of the province

• 58 276 youth aged 15 to 30, of which 29 646 (50.9%) are women (2003).   18 652 (32%) are
  Youth Union members.  39 624 (68%) are non-members.  10 112 (17.4%) youth attend school,
  of which 4 423 (43.7%) are women. 3 146 (5.4%) are school drop-outs.
• Concerns of youth:

-	Drug addiction
-	Employment opportunities after completing secondary school

• Proposal/recommendation from youth:

-	Increase vocational training
-	Create job opportunities at local level

• Project that supported by international donors:

-	Swedish project in cooperation with Lao government (training centre), HIV/AIDS prevention programme (UNICEF)

B.2 Information from Phonhon district

• 6 805 youth, of which 2 549 are women
• 2 087 are Youth Union members, of which 1 037 are women (69%) (4 718) are non-members
• Concerns of youth:

-	Jobs: 50% of youth are unemployed
-	Drug addiction
-	Social problems, e.g. drug abuse, unemployment, leading some to enter the sex industry

• Solutions proposed by youth:

-	District Youth Union to cooperate with village authorities to establish livelihood development  activities
-	Establish a development fund
-	Agriculture training needed

Ethic minority vocational training centre

• Opening in 2002, the Vocational Training Centre includes eight classes with about 150 students
  per course. All students were from the capital township of Vientiane province; however, in future,
  it will include students from other district as well.
• Training subjects:

-	English, computers, sewing, but not agriculture or rural development-related subjects

• In the future, the training centre will add mobile phone repair and electronics
• Youth expectations:

-	Would like to study at university (for those now attending school)
-	Would like to secure a livelihood (for those not now attending school):   agricultural training was suggested

• Fund supported by: ERIKSHJÄLPEN from Sweden and JVC from Japan.

B.3 Information from three villages, Phonhon district

The three villages are accessible by road in all seasons. The majority of households are classified as sufficient. Youth education level low, many out of school youth in the three visited villages.

Concerns:

• Families lack money to support further education
• No or limited job opportunities after graduation
• Youth have social problems such as school drop-outs, unemployment, drugs, stealing, and sex
  workers
• Youth illiterate

Possible solutions:

• Need support for youth education
• Youth want to have sport activities in the village
• Create job opportunities for youth as soon as possible
• Projects to improve youth livelihood, e.g. animal husbandry and agricultural projects
• Vocational training e.g. weaving and handicraft, dressmaking, construction work and agriculture
• Youth want:   more agricultural land, animal husbandry, clean water, latrines, schools, health centres and improved road conditions