Blog Post 2: Bringing the Joy of Reading in Rural Laos

How does one foster a reading culture in a country that has historically undervalued books? This is the problem Big Brother Mouse publishing has been fighting to solve since their conception in 2006. The project was first inspired when Khamla Panyasouk visited Thailand witnessed firsthand stories filled with books. However, starting a literary revolution in Thailand had many challenges that sheer willpower would not directly overcome. A lack of readership meant a lack of people motivated to write and illustrate, not to mention the difficulty in printing the Laotian language in translations suitable for the many dialects of the people in the country. Distribution to community members in remote rural locations has also been a major challenge for the publishing company.

In order to alleviate this need, an Australian organization known as Creative Literacy Laos has helped deliver thousands of books to children in remote areas through the generosity of volunteers. This has not been an easy task, however, as many of the locations can be extremely difficult to reach. As Karlee Taylor, Creative Literacy Laos’ founder mentioned,

“The villages we are working in now are very remote and take many hours to reach, including travel by boat and walking…Bringing people and resources into these villages to run activities can present challenges. These places can be difficult and costly to reach and are therefore difficult to visit regularly or maintain channels of communication to the district.” [Duerden].

But these challenges have not stopped Creative Literacy Laos and Big Brother Mouse in their efforts. Fundraising efforts have seen success and are able to promote interconnectedness between children in Laos and Australia. The cultural component of this partnership has been a key element Taylor was interested in incorporating. The literary reformation in Laos reminds us of the significance of global citizenship and cultural compassion. It also reminds us the importance of reading in general and the privilege we often take for granted of having constant access to literature. There is still a long way to go, but Khamla and Karlee have much to be proud of in establishing the value of reading in a country previously deprived of it.

Bibliography

Duerden, John. “Bringing the Joy of Reading in Rural Laos”. Nikkei Asian Review. 16 February 2017. Retrieved from: https://asia.nikkei.com/NAR/Articles/Bringing-the-joy-of-reading-in-rural-Laos