Bokeo: At 22, Xaikham is already a father to a six-month-old child - and a young man determined to shape his own future. After completing secondary school, Xaikham dreamed of studying agriculture at university. However, like many young people in his remote mountain community in Bokeo Province, poverty became a major barrier. Although he received a government scholarship with free tuition to study agriculture at Souphanouvong University in Luang Prabang Province, the cost of living there was beyond what his family could afford. But Xaikham did not give up. Instead of waiting for opportunities, he began creating them himself.
According to Lao News Agency, living in a community where forest resources are declining and traditional livelihoods are under pressure, Xaikham actively searched for new skills. He joined agricultural training programmes, learned broom grass cultivation, and started producing and selling brooms. These efforts provided additional income for his young family - but Xaikham knew he wanted to achieve more. 'Even though we earn extra income from making brooms and selling broom grass, I always felt that something was missing,' Xaikham reflects.
In mid-2025, a new opportunity emerged. Together with two friends who shared his ambition, Xaikham formed a group and applied for the Youth Micro-Enterprise Small Grant under Plan International's Climate-Resilient Rural Economies, Agriculture and Livelihoods (C-REAL) Project. 'I believed this could be the opportunity to fulfil the dream I once had,' he says. Through a competitive selection process, the group was chosen.
All activities in which Xaikham and his friends are engaged are supported through the C-REAL Project, funded by the KOICA Civil Society Cooperation Programme and implemented by Plan International Korea and Plan International Laos, in partnership with the Meaying Huamchai Phattha Association and Houay Xai District Agriculture and Environment Office; under the guidance of Bokeo Provincial Agriculture and Environment Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Plan International, in partnership with Meaying Huamchai Phattha Association and the District Agriculture and Environment Office, supported the group with training in business planning, budgeting, cost-profit analysis, and technical skills in veterinary services. For Xaikham, this was more than just training - it was a turning point. 'This opportunity helped me rediscover my true dream - to become a veterinarian,' he says proudly.
The three young men named their team the 'Future Builders Youth Group', reflecting their shared determination to create a better future. With a small grant of USD 600, they invested in essential equipment, including a mini refrigerator to store vaccines and a cabinet for medicines and tools. They began providing services to their community, including selling veterinary medicines, offering advice, and travelling directly to farms to treat and vaccinate animals.