More than 100 volunteers from the provinces of Luang Prabang, Xayaboury and Oudomxay take part in an emergency rescue training exercise at the Khan River in Hathiem village, hosted by Luang Prabang province’s Red Cross. The exercise cost 48 million kip, funded by Switzerland’s Red Cross. The volunteers learnt the best ways to help people in need of assistance on rivers and roads.                           --Photo Pathetlao

Agriculture officials from the provinces of Xieng Khuang, Vientiane and Borikhamxay display certificates of completion after a short training course on capacity building for local officials involved in rural development projects in northern and central Laos. The course, which took place from July 14-19 in Vientiane, was supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea through KOICA and implemented by the Rural Development Department of Laos’ Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Participants gained valuable knowledge about project governance, agricultural markets, connections with community-based financial institutions, the Korean Saemaul Geumgo approach to development in Laos, poverty reduction strategies, project finance, and more. They also learned how to strengthen local cooperatives to promote sustainable growth and encourage more farmers to join cooperatives while engaging in best agricultural practices.