(KPL) The European Union Delegation and EU member states join the Ministry of Education and Sports as well as other Ministries to celebrate the official launch of EU’s children storybooks in Lao language aimed at developing environmental awareness and promote cultural exchange among Lao children for a better, more sustainable and greener future.

The launch event was attended by the Minister of Education and Sports Phout Simmalavong, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the European Union Delegation to Lao PDR Baiba Zarina, Representatives from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of European members states.

Ten EU children's books from 10 different EU countries are ready to be donated to urban and rural schools, as well as national and provincial libraries across the country. These storybooks, primarily designed for children aged 7 to 12 years old, with very attractive illustrations, are mainly focusing on environmental issues.

This initiative aims at raising environmental awareness among children as well as enhancing cultural partnership between Europe and Laos, and has been carried out largely with the support of Austria, Cyprus, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The ten storybooks offered by these countries have been translated in Lao with 1,000 copies each in order to reach out to as many children as possible.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the EU and Member States for providing the opportunity to libraries and schools in Laos, including children, teachers and communities to discover and read traditional books written by European authors. In this perspective, improving the level of literacy of Lao children and providing equal access to reading remains a high priority for the Government,” outlined Minister of Education and Sports Phout Simmalavong.

This initiative is consistent with EU’s efforts to expand the range of choices and options of books for Lao children. In particular, it is part of the EU's commitment to foster reading culture in young children, and to emphasize the importance of reading as a foundation for future learning. Reading sparks children’s imagination, inspires creativity, enhances their ability to focus, builds their vocabulary and improves communication skills.

“Reading makes children smarter and helps them develop to their full potential. Together with its member states, the European Union would like to reaffirm its commitment to further strengthen cultural exchange between Europe and Laos, and more generally, to promote European culture in the ASEAN region and beyond, under the new slogan "Green Team Europe," said Ms Baiba Zarina.

At the launch event organized at the Lao National Library, the Minister of Education and Sports and Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the European Union Delegation to Lao PDR met with students from Nakhuay secondary school, discussed with them on the books and exchanged on hopes and ambitions for a greener future in Laos.

Source:
courtesy of KPL NEWS AGENCY

by KPL NEWS AGENCY

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