Cambodia
Located on mainland south-east Asia and bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia is a predominantly rural society that is slowly beginning to emerge from 25 years of civil war that followed the repressive Khmer Rouge regime. Between 2004 and 2009 Cambodia experienced a period of rapid economic growth, with textiles and tourism as emerging industries. Despite this, more than a third of Cambodians live below the poverty line and 78 per cent live on less than $2 a day, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. World Vision first arrived in Cambodia in 1974, but was then forced to leave after the Khmer Rouge took over. It returned in 1979 and currently operates 38 Area Development Programmes (ADPs) across 41 districts.
Laos
Laos is a landlocked country surrounded by Thailand, Vietnam, China, Myanmar and Cambodia. It is also one of the poorest nations in the world. Around 80 per cent of the population works on the land but nearly 40 per cent live below the poverty line and 75 per cent earn less than $2 a day. Many children fail to complete primary school because classes aren’t available, while a quarter of teachers lack any formal qualification. Only 40 per cent of boys and 33 per cent of girls attend secondary school. The main focus today is putting into place improved agricultural practices to tackle the issue of food security and to work with both the government and local communities to improve access to health and education, with a focus on improving the welfare of children. .
