J557N Big Brother Mouse Village Literacy Program

The Situation

Big Brother Mouse is an educational project in Luang Prabang, Laos; where just a decade ago, most people had never seen a book except a textbook, if that.

Founded in 2006 with the view that education is fundamental in eradicating poverty and enabling communities to improve their quality of life; the project offers three inter-related programs to provide supplementary education or a practical alternative in very remote areas.

The Objectives

1. “Hold a Book Party” program provides books and a forum to encourage communities to read through animated book readings and art lessons; and through the “Village Librarian” program, village leaders select a trustworthy “Village Librarian” who is provided varied books for all ages, along with training on how to make the books available and resources to manage their borrowing.
2. To date 180 titles, have been added to the fledgling Lao publishing industry leading to future job opportunities, skills training and economic development.