Training opportunities for Anoulak team, local partners and local communities: building the capacity of the future generation!

Association Anoulak is dedicated to building the capacity of the next generation of Lao conservationists. Each year we thrive to provide opportunities to our team and local partners. Over the past few months we supported and/or organized the attendance of several training opportunities linked to all our programs.

Providing handicraft design and quality control training to local communities, with the National University of Laos

In May and June 2023, Dr. Sonxay and Thongsouk from the National University of Laos provided advise and training to the local communities from Thaphaibanh in Nakai-Nam Theun National Park on handicraft designs and quality to meet the market demand. This will improve the value chain for the traditional handicraft from Thaphaibanh, therefore providing additional income to local communities.

Study tour to a project on sustainable rattan management, nursery program and products value chain in Khamkeut District

In June 2024, our team with local partners and villagers visited several villages in Khamkeut District, Bolikhamxay Province where rattan handicraft, value chain and sustainable management has been implemented for several years. This provided a great opportunity to learn from an on-going project to apply to the Thaphaibanh communities in Nakai.

Attendance at the National action plan formulation workshop on a case study of commercial cattle raising in Xiengkhouang Province

In June 2023, Our team along with local government partners from Nakai attended in the Participatory Policy Action Plan Formulation Workshop: A Case Study of Commercial Cattle Production Policy in Xiengkhouang Province. This provided an opportunity to learn from a national value chain for national goods.

As part of this visit, our team also got the opportunity to visit other projects for locally products such as processed (dried) tea and traditional wild honey raising. These exemples also provided some opportunity to assess potential new products to be developed for income generation and sustainable harvesting and production in Nakai.

Sustainable bee raising for honey production and value chain in Xiengkhouang Province

Sustainable production and processing of green tea for a value chain in Xiengkhouang Province

Attendance at the training workshop on cassava plantation organized by the National Agriculture and Forestry Institute of Laos, Vientiane

In June 2023, we provided the opportunities to local government partners from Nakai to attend the workshop Training Cassava Cultivation: Techniques for Sustainable Production led and organised by the National Agriculture and Forestry Institute of Laos (NAFRI) with their partners.

Given the rise of the cassava plantation across Laos due to the increasing international demand in the past few years and the unsustainability of the cultivation practices, this training provided key lessons to Nakai Government partners to understand the risks of this practice on deforestation and ways to make the production sustainable.

Trainer from NAFRI handing-over Certificate of Attendance to Nakai Governor who we provided support to attend the event along with other Nakai Government partners

Assessment and awareness raising to local communities on impact of Cassava plantation in Thaphaibanh agricultural land by NAFRI

In June 2023, we invited a team from NAFRI to visit target villages in Thaphaibanh, Nakai-Nam Theun to assess the current status and impact of cassava plantations and provide awareness raising to local communities of the unsustainable practice. We plan to continue to collaborate with NAFRI to provide training to local communities on sustainable cultivation of cassava.

Attendance at the training on techniques for surveying and monitoring biodiversity in nature reserves organized by Nakai-Nam Theun National Park and technical partners

In July 2023, four Anoulak research team attended a training on techniques for surveying and monitoring biodiversity in nature reserves organized by Nakai-Nam Theun National Park and technical partners, to learn about techniques they have not used previously.