The SOLAR project, aimed at enhancing social security and labour rights for coffee and tea farmers on the Bolaven Plateau, has successfully concluded. Over 10,000 farmers in southern Laos benefited from the initiative, which was funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Oxfam. The project, which concluded with a closing ceremony on June 28, 2024, focused on improving access to social security and occupational safety for informal workers in the region. During its three-year duration, the SOLAR project helped 12,612 farmers understand social security, occupational safety, and gender issues, and registered 806 workers with the National Social Security Fund.
Key achievements included the piloting of new approaches to grassroots service delivery and the empowerment of workers’ organizations. The project provided training to local authorities and civil society organizations, resulting in the establishment of 34 local social protection promoters and 22 core safety and health trainers. Additionally, 23 women assumed leadership and administrative roles in their communities and workplaces. The closing ceremony was followed by the final Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting, which involved stakeholders from the national government, local authorities, sectoral associations, and development partners. The meeting, along with a Provincial Working Group (PWG) meeting held on June 12, 2024, reflected on the project’s highlights and lessons learned.
“Throughout its three years, the SOLAR project supported the vision of the National Social Protection Strategy: by 2030, Lao people will have access to basic social protection services in an equitable, adequate, effective, and sustainable manner,” said Loveleen De, Project Manager at ILO.
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