Laos

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, or Laos, is among the poorest countries in Asia. Poverty is most concentrated in the rural areas, where most people live. Across the country, more than half the population lacks access to clean water, while a third lacks access to adequate sanitation facilities.

One-tenth of the population lives in semi-permanent shelters with grass or bamboo floors, walls and roofs. Wood and bamboo houses built on stilts are a frequent sight in rural and mountainous areas, where many ethnic minority groups live.

Carter Work Project volunteers will repair 20 homes in the urban areas of the capital city, Vientiane.

To help meet Laotian housing needs, Habitat established a presence in 2006 by partnering with like-minded local organizations.