The project supports a fund for the school's agricultural or livestock production. The outputs from the production are sold for income, and the income is shared by all participants (including teachers, villagers, and students). Some of the profits are used for the benefit of the school by providing school materials and maintenance, and half of the profit is applied to a further circulating fund. The project aims to provide lunches for students, to promote income generation, and to encourage the sharing of useful production information between communities in rural, poor areas. EDF-Lao provides the necessary information, training, and workshops for administration, including production, finance, and marketing knowledge.

The fund supports target schools for three years by providing capital to help strengthen and develop useful cultivation or animal raising activities. The goal is for schools’ agricultural and livestock activities to become self-sufficient.

Schools can receive a maximum of 100,000 Thai Bhat (the Thai currency) each year for up to three years; this is considered a direct cost of the program. The operational costs of agricultural and livestock-raising study tours for school committees, provided by EDF-Lao, are calculated as indirect costs. Please CONTACT US for further information and to make an OSOP Donation.

Interested schools in the target area can apply for OSOP funding by submitting a proposal to EDF-Lao after the official announcement, usually in February. Generally proposals include some support provided by the schools. For example, it is likely that labor and local materials, such as wood, are available in the area. Approximately 94% of the total production budget goes to procuring the necessary materials for production.