Who are we ?
THE STORY OF NK SEEDS
Since 2019, NK SEEDS has been offering free English classes to over 200 students each year. This project was born from the meeting between Mélissa, a young French woman passionate about Asia, and Sabu, a local teacher who volunteered to teach English to underprivileged children in his village. Seeing the crucial importance of English for the future of young Laotians, the idea of creating an English school was born: one hour of English offered free of charge for each child after school, thus establishing the foundation of "NK English School" in the village of Nong Khiaw.
In 2022, Mélissa decided to give new impetus to the development of NK SEEDS' actions. From setting up free English schools to building canteens, toilets, water supply projects, to child sponsorship, the association is involved in a variety of projects aimed at supporting and strengthening communities across the country. Today, the NGO has become a reference in Laos for development projects and community aid, demonstrating its commitment to the sustainable improvement of the living conditions of local populations.
NK represents the city of Nong Khiaw, the village where the association's actions began; and SEEDS are the acronyms for Solidarity, Education, Environment, Development, Support.
WHY LAOS?
20% of children in Laos do not complete primary school.
This is because basic education is not compulsory and is not free of charge. Furthermore, due to various challenges such as poverty, geographical remoteness, gender inequality, infrastructure issues, constant inflation, access to education remains limited in some remote rural areas.
WHY ENGLISH?
The Laotian economy is based primarily on agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism. Agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy, employing a large portion of the population, however, tourism is a booming sector in Laos, attracting more and more international visitors each year. English is the international language.
MÉLISSA LANSMANT, THE FOUNDER
Mélissa Lansmant, born in Geneva in 1998, comes from a Franco-Swiss family. She studied on the Swiss border, in Cluses. After obtaining a literary baccalaureate in 2016, her attraction to travel led her to set off on an adventure at the age of 18 with her backpack, exploring Australia for a year before continuing her journey in Southeast Asia. Having fallen in love with Laos in 2018, she chose to settle there and found the NK SEEDS association. In 2021, Mélissa wrote a moving book, "Build me a school", retracing her exceptional journey in Laos. Today, while devoting herself fully to NK SEEDS, Mélissa finds fulfillment through writing and conferences in France, thus sharing her expertise and passion with the public.
THE BOOK “BUILD ME A SCHOOL” BY MÉLISSA LANSMANT
In 2020, while the association was booming, Mélissa and her team were forced to return to France due to the global health crisis. This situation led to a two-year pause in NK SEEDS' activities, although a team continued to provide English classes in the village of Nong Khiaw during the lockdown. During this period, Mélissa decided to devote her time to her passion for writing, which had been with her since childhood. She began writing a book retracing the history of NK SEEDS and its journey in Laos.
THE BOOK SUMMARY
In October 2018, a born adventurer, Mélissa decided to "drop everything" and go on an adventure to the other side of the world. Alone with her backpack, embarked on uncertain Asian paths, she landed in Laos and met Sabou, a young Laotian, who had improvised a classroom in his living room in which he taught English to the village children. Mélissa, touched by Sabou's commitment, decided to put her travel plans aside and set down her bags in Nong Khiaw in northern Laos. Smiles, looks from children with various difficulties, Mélissa recounts her adventure that led her to create a free school supervised by employees and volunteers from all over the world. This travel diary is worth it for its freshness and the passion that runs through it. Mélissa Lansmant is an enterprising young woman, deeply human, who made a dream a reality. "I wrote to report my adventure and to inspire those who have a project. I want to tell them that everything is possible."
...ON THE LCI MORNING SHOW OF MAY 28, 2023
Melissa, our president, was invited to tell her story and the creation of our organization.