My first impressions of Laos – by Meike Becker (Team XIV)
Editor’s note: Some new readers might be interested in the red thread which connects the 409 articles on this blog, hence this note.
In our 10-year cooperation with institutions of education in Lao P.D.R., the University of Education Karlsruhe (PHKA) has worked with eight different partners at primary, secondary, college, and university levels. Readers who started following this blog early will remember that the “Angels for Children” Foundation (AfC) generously funded, facilitated, and co-mentored the first 10 student-teacher teams from PHKA in the years 2015-2020. The team members worked in tandem-partnerships with teachers from Ban Sikeud Primary School, Ban Phang Heng Primary School, Ban Phang Heng Secondary School, the Lao-German Technical College (LGTC), and the Vocational Education Development Institute (VEDI); some teams also worked with researchers from the Research Institute of Educational Sciences (RIES). The three schools are located in villages (“Ban”) ca. 20 km from the capital Vientiane (Sikeud and Phang Heng), the other institutions in the capital.
As from 2017, PHKA developed two independent cooperations with the private (primary and secondary) Sunshine School in Vientiane and with the University of Savannakhet (SKU) in the south of Laos (Savannakhet). Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in Germany in 2020, Team X had to return to Germany early. Team XI attempted to get to Laos several times in 2021 (in vain), and only one new volunteer (Team XI.5) managed to get a visa to Laos in 2021 (and then braved the first lockdown there). Team XII rebooted PHKA’s collaboration with the LGTC, the VEDI, and Sunshine School, in late 2023. In that same semester, during another Sabbatical, in which I strove to widen my decolonial learning angle, my second DAAD Fact-Finding Mission took me to the University of Yaoundé 1 (Cameroon) and the University of Cape Coast (Ghana). This is why readers now also encounter articles from Yaoundé students and students and staff of the University of Cape Coast, with which we established formal University Cooperation Agreements in 2024.
Notwithstanding these newer developments, our cooperation with two Lao partners continues: SKU and Sunshine School. We hope to also reconnect with the LGTC in the next academic year.
Ms Meike Becker applied for an internship place at Sunshine School in Team XIV, and this is her first account.
My First Impressions of Laos
Where do I even start?
Coming to Laos has honestly been one of the most exciting things I have ever done. It is my first big trip abroad and also my first long flight completely on my own, so I was super nervous and excited at the same time.
I am Meike Becker, 24 years old, and I completed this internship as part of my “Professionalization Internship” at the University of Education Karlsruhe (PHKA), which marked the completion of my Master’s degree in Primary Education. I became aware of the internship opportunity in Laos through the University of Education in Karlsruhe, where this placement was offered as part of the university’s international internship programme.
The decision to go to Laos did not come suddenly, but rather grew from a long-standing personal wish. I have always dreamed of working abroad, especially in a country with an education system that is fundamentally different from the one I know. For a long time, I imagined myself doing an internship in such a context, learning from new perspectives and gaining experiences beyond my familiar environment. In general, Southeast Asian countries and their cultures have always fascinated me, which made the opportunity to complete an internship in Laos even more meaningful.
When I learned that this internship was possible through the PHKA, it felt like the perfect combination of my academic path and my personal interests. Despite my initial doubts about travelling alone for the first time and the nervousness that came with it, this deep-rooted desire to gain international experience ultimately convinced me to apply for the internship and, in the end, to accept it.
Next year, after completing my Master’s degree at PHKA, I will begin the third phase of my teacher education – an 18-month probationary training period at school, to become a fully qualified teacher – and I hope that the experiences I gain during the internship in Laos will have a lasting impact on both my professional and personal development and will accompany me throughout my future career.
Before coming here, to Sunshine School in Vientiane, I did not really know what to expect. Of course I had had consultations with Ms Friedl from the PHKA International Office and Prof Martin, but I had no concrete idea how things would go, what my living situation would be like, or what my daily life would look like. But I was full of curiosity and just ready to see what happens. Saying goodbye to my family and friends was really hard. But as soon as I got to the airport, the excitement kicked in again and I could not wait to start this new adventure.
The flight went really smoothly and after a short stop in Hanoi, I finally arrived in Laos. At the airport, I was picked up by “Didi” (“sister”), the principal of Sunshine School, where I will be working. Since it was still holiday time in Laos and the school was closed, Didi and her friends (who were visiting) showed me around for the first few days. Honestly, that was the best welcome I could have imagined. We did so many things together: We visited museums, explored Buddha Park, and wandered through the night market and street festivals in the evenings. Everyone was so kind and welcoming. Every night I was completely exhausted from all the new impressions, but in the best way possible.
After those first beautiful days of exploring and settling in, it was finally time for school to start. I was definitely nervous before my first day. I took the school bus with the children and even the ride there was fascinating. The morning sun was already shining, palm trees everywhere, and little street stalls lining the roads. It felt like such a vibrant start to the day.
The first few days at school flew by. There were ups and downs, of course, but overall, everyone welcomed me so warmly. The only small challenge is communication: I do not speak Lao and most of the teachers do not speak English. Luckily, the English teachers from both primary and secondary school are very nice and always include me in everything, so I never feel left out. The children are adorable and very friendly; you can really tell they are excited to have someone new around.
All in all, it is been an amazing first few weeks. Not always easy, with a new culture, language, and system, but so full of warmth and new experiences.
And this weekend, I am already heading on my first little trip to Vang Vieng! I cannot wait to see more of this beautiful country.
Text & photos by M. Becker
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