The Language project is a non-profit organisation in Laos which aims to give people the resources they need to develop their potential, ideas and experiences through the access of free public libraries and resource centers. They believe that everyone deserves a chance to better themselves and their world.
What do they do?
Every year during summer, The Language Project organizes Film Production, a youth training program to initiate young adults, ages 14-35 to filmmaking. Workshops are in Lao language during six weeks with participants from different horizons, representing several ethnic groups, students, young professionals, young Buddhist novice monks. This training will result in two short films with the objective of giving Lao youth the voice and the tools to show “Laos Through Their Own Eyes” and to support the development of the film industry in Laos.
Previously, their films have been shown at film festivals such as “Without Mindfulness” which won first place in the Vientianale, the Lao short film festival. The film “Save me Save your life” won the Most Distinguished video in the Qhiq Dab Neeg Film Festival in Minnesota. Many of their former students have also been awarded Lao Filmmaker fund grants and offered feature cultural development.
How can you help?
You can donate to the organization to empower Lao youth studying to help themselves and their communities, and its value increases many-fold as library users learn new skills, access materials previously unavailable, discover their talents and passions and change their world.
You can send new or used books and DVDs to make their libraries more diverse and resourceful. Many of their most well loved books and DVDs are English or bilingual materials specific for the Lao, Hmong and Khmu cultures, published abroad and previously unknown in Laos.
You can donate used digital equipment like digital cameras for their photography program or smartphones, tablets and laptops. These they load with digital learning materials and send out to libraries and to teachers in rural areas.
You can also check their YouTube channel to watch their short films: https://www.youtube.com/@MyLibraryFilmmakers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqJtVMdHnhQ
EXO Foundation support
In 2024, their YouTube channel was hacked, losing their student educational and fictional films, and their 11 million views and 32 000 subscribers. Today they have to start again from zero. EXO Foundation financially supported the 2025 summer training to help the organization start again.