Long-Term Volunteer Program in Laos

The Lao People's Democratic Republic sits at the heart of Southeast Asia. Bordered by the Mekong River and Thailand on the west, Myanmar and China to the north, the mountains of Vietnam to the east, and Cambodia to the south, the former French colony has not garnered the same attention from the West of many of its neighbors. Over the past two decades, however, the communist government has opened the country to tourism and relaxed its control over private business. Laos is thus beginning to undergo rapid development, although its communications and transportation infrastructure are still very weak.

VIA’s newest programs in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand offer volunteers an exciting opportunity to get involved in program and post development and collaboratively define their roles as VIA volunteers. Prospective volunteers must be ready for the challenge of developing the relationship with our local partners with the support of a full-time program director based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The broad range of posts, including English teaching, English resource work, and unique hybrid combinations, spans four countries and many areas, including a Monastic school, environmental protection, migrant populations, and more!

Questions?

For more details on how our long-term programs work, please see the FAQ, Why VIA?, How to Apply, and Program Fees pages. You can also take a look at a list of important dates or download a 2010 Application. 

For further details, please contact Lillian, the Interim Southeast Asia Program Director, at seap@viaprograms.org . Note that posts may or may not be available from year to year.