Why I’m Volunteering in Laos 

I’ve always wanted my work to mean something—to help solve real problems. That’s why I decided to take on a 3-month volunteer assignment in Vientiane, Laos as an App Development Mentor.

I’ll be working alongside the Laotian government with support from the Australian Volunteers Program, helping people in the informal sector access skills and training to improve their lives. The role aligns with both my professional field of learning design—where I’ll be working to optimise an educational app—and my lifelong desire to help build a fairer world.

The next step

I entered the field of learning design during the pandemic as I sought to redirect my career in a more creative and flexible direction. Coming from a teaching background, I saw learning design as a way to combine the science of how people learn with the excitement of technology and visual storytelling. In 2023, I felt incredibly lucky to land my first full-time role in the higher education sector in Melbourne. 

But over time, I realised something was missing. While I enjoyed developing my skills—tinkering with learning platforms, building engaging activities, and exploring basic web development—I wanted to be part of shaping the solutions, not just executing them. More than that, I wanted to work on projects with real-world impact, especially for under-served communities.

Why Laos?

So when I came across a listing for a volunteer App Development Mentor in Laos, it felt like it was made for me. It brought together everything I’ve been seeking: meaningful project work, a chance to use my design skills for good, and a region I know well from over a decade of living and working in Indonesia.

Having spent so long in Indonesia, I’m acutely aware of the challenges facing those who fall through the cracks of formal education and employment systems. In both Indonesia and Laos, the informal workforce makes up a significant portion of the population. Without strong safety nets, people often rely on family and community support systems, which can often be stretched thin already. And while mature-age education or career change is an option in many Western countries, in much of the Global South, it’s far too expensive or simply unavailable.

There’s also a deep cultural belief in linear success: that if you leave school or university, you’ve missed your chance. It’s sad to think of all the human potential that has been wasted because of these outdated ideas and the lack of opportunities.

A big learning curve

As exciting as this opportunity is, I’m also aware of its limitations. I’ll be in-country for just three months, and I know that’s only enough time to scratch the surface. These are big societal problems which do not have easy solutions. 

But I see this assignment as a beginning and I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can about the problems facing the informal sector in Laos and listening to and learning from those working on the ground there. And I know this will be a huge learning curve professionally and personally.

I’ll be documenting this journey on my website and posting reflections on LinkedIn. If you're interested in inclusive learning design, skills development, or the intersections between education and equity—I hope you’ll follow along.