Chinese group gifts Panda Packs to Lao students

VIENTIANE -- The China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) has gifted 50,000 Panda Packs with stationeries and hygiene supplies to Lao students at a ceremony held in Ban Nongveng Primary School in capital Vientiane.

Yin Qian, a representative with CFPA's international development department, handed over the gifts to Somsanouk Mixay, secretary general of the Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity.

Yin said at the Lao Panda Pack Project distribution ceremony that CFPA launched the Panda Pack Project jointly with Alibaba Philanthropy in 2019, and the project aims to help the quality education in China's neighboring countries and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative by providing the sufficient learning supplies to the primary school students.

The CFPA has cooperated with Lao Committee for Peace and Solidarity and brought the project to Laos in 2019 for the first time with support from the Lao Ministry of Education.

"The project embodies the friendship of Chinese people, and we hope these small packs will help to strengthen the long-lasting friendship of our two countries," said the Chinese NGO representative.

In his speech, Keo Mackhaphonh, director general of the International Relations of Mass Organizations Department under the Lao ruling party Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee's External Relations Commission, expressed his gratitude to the CFPA and the Chinese people for their generous funding.

Keo said he was very happy to see the non-governmental organizations from China brought gifts of well-designed packages and rich love. The Panda Packs not only provide basic stationery for the primary school students here, but also give them art supplies and sanitary supplies, which will enrich their class and after-school life and enables them to grow up healthily.

In 2019, 20,000 primary students in Laos received the "gift from Panda land."

"While in 2020, schools have to be closed for our children's health concern which brings challenges and leads to an impact on education development. We overcame the difficulties and kept our promise to bring 50,000 upgraded panda packs with hygiene supplies including soaps, toothpaste, toothbrush, towel, water bottle and so on to our Lao students," said Yin.

"We believe the packs could raise the spirit and bring hope not only to our children but also to their families and communities."

The International Love Package Project of China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation was launched in 2019. The package consists of four categories: school bags, school supplies, daily necessities, sanitary supplies, and other supplies, which are rich in variety and practical.