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  • Organisation

    RDA is a Lao-based non-profit social enterprise founded in 2009 as an offshoot of PADETC (Participatory Development Training Centre). RDA began as a semi-autonomous organization SuanMaiLao Eco-Forest Learning Centre (SML) which focused on educating young people and the general public on the importance of ecology in relation to holistic education and development. SML would go on to become the Rural Development Agency (RDA) in 2015. RDA has gone on to expand its efforts toward developing and participating in projects that take community centred approaches in WASH, Nutrition, Environmental Conservation and Youth Engagement.

    RDA Vision is to become a model Agency that inspires and empowers rural communities. Our mission is facilitating a holistic self-sustaining capacity strengthening and quality provision of services in community education, environmental health and youth empowerment. The overall objective / Goal is to be recognized as innovative industry leaders, delivering quality programs in community development by investing in the training of RDAs human resources, fostering, creativity and developing individual capacity.

    RDA has extensive experience and networks within the Lao PDR working with young people, communities, local authorities and village functionalities in promoting sustainable and inclusive community development in Lao PDR. RDA believes communities have the ability to be self-sustaining when their capacity, confidence, networking, and dialogue skills are developed.

     
    • Organisation

      RDA is a Lao-based non-profit social enterprise founded in 2009 as an offshoot of PADETC (Participatory Development Training Centre). RDA began as a semi-autonomous organization SuanMaiLao Eco-Forest Learning Centre (SML) which focused on educating young people and the general public on the importance of ecology in relation to holistic education and development. SML would go on to become the Rural Development Agency (RDA) in 2015. RDA has gone on to expand its efforts toward developing and participating in projects that take community centred approaches in WASH, Nutrition, Environmental Conservation and Youth Engagement.

      RDA Vision is to become a model Agency that inspires and empowers rural communities. Our mission is facilitating a holistic self-sustaining capacity strengthening and quality provision of services in community education, environmental health and youth empowerment. The overall objective / Goal is to be recognized as innovative industry leaders, delivering quality programs in community development by investing in the training of RDAs human resources, fostering, creativity and developing individual capacity.

      RDA has extensive experience and networks within the Lao PDR working with young people, communities, local authorities and village functionalities in promoting sustainable and inclusive community development in Lao PDR. RDA believes communities have the ability to be self-sustaining when their capacity, confidence, networking, and dialogue skills are developed.

       
    • Project

      WeCare is the first prize winner of NOW-Us Awards Laos Vol.1, and being hosted by Rural Development Agency(RDA)

      WeCare, a mental health tech social enterprise founded in 2020, and with a belief in good mental health starts with listening — empathy. At We care, we are devoted to elevate the lives of people living with mental illness, strive to enable everyone, especially marginalized populations to access mental health care, and aim to help 41,000 people with mental health issues untreated as reported and unreported cases in Laos have access to mental health care by 2030.

      “970 million people worldwide had a mental or substance use disorder in 2017.” — Our World in Data. April 2018.

      “Key facts by WHO:
      • More than 700,000 people die due to suicide every year.
      • For every suicide there are many more people who attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population.
      • Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-19-year-olds.
      •77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.” — WHO. June 17, 2021.

      “Statistics have shown that 70,000 people in Laos have reported mental health issues, but due to inadequate personnel, facilities and financial resources, only 29,000 of those people have access to treatment and mental health services. According to a survey by Basic Needs, anxiety disorders rank first with a rate of 33 percent followed by schizophrenia with 19 percent, epilepsy at 14 percent, psychosis due to infectious diseases 8 percent, depression 3 percent, substance/alcohol abuse 0.7 percent, dementia 0.5 percent, and mental retardation 0.1 percent.” — Dr. Chantharavady Choulamany. The Laotian Times. July7, 2017.

      Which means, in Laos, 41,000 people don’t have access to mental health care, which means they are still suffering from mental health issues. This does not include dam collapse in Attapeu in 2018, with 3,540 families or 14,440 people affected, such as loss of property and homes. It also excludes theCOVID-19 incident, which has left many people emotionally and mentally affected.

      Our questions are: How many reported cases of mental health issues in Laos have been so far? And how many have been unreported?

       
  • Project

    WeCare is the first prize winner of NOW-Us Awards Laos Vol.1, and being hosted by Rural Development Agency(RDA)

    WeCare, a mental health tech social enterprise founded in 2020, and with a belief in good mental health starts with listening — empathy. At We care, we are devoted to elevate the lives of people living with mental illness, strive to enable everyone, especially marginalized populations to access mental health care, and aim to help 41,000 people with mental health issues untreated as reported and unreported cases in Laos have access to mental health care by 2030.

    “970 million people worldwide had a mental or substance use disorder in 2017.” — Our World in Data. April 2018.

    “Key facts by WHO:
    • More than 700,000 people die due to suicide every year.
    • For every suicide there are many more people who attempt suicide. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population.
    • Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-19-year-olds.
    •77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries.” — WHO. June 17, 2021.

    “Statistics have shown that 70,000 people in Laos have reported mental health issues, but due to inadequate personnel, facilities and financial resources, only 29,000 of those people have access to treatment and mental health services. According to a survey by Basic Needs, anxiety disorders rank first with a rate of 33 percent followed by schizophrenia with 19 percent, epilepsy at 14 percent, psychosis due to infectious diseases 8 percent, depression 3 percent, substance/alcohol abuse 0.7 percent, dementia 0.5 percent, and mental retardation 0.1 percent.” — Dr. Chantharavady Choulamany. The Laotian Times. July7, 2017.

    Which means, in Laos, 41,000 people don’t have access to mental health care, which means they are still suffering from mental health issues. This does not include dam collapse in Attapeu in 2018, with 3,540 families or 14,440 people affected, such as loss of property and homes. It also excludes theCOVID-19 incident, which has left many people emotionally and mentally affected.

    Our questions are: How many reported cases of mental health issues in Laos have been so far? And how many have been unreported?

     
  • News

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