Nout* is a 14-year-old girl from a rural village in Salavan Province in Laos who dreams of becoming a doctor so she can help people in her community stay healthy.
She is the only child in her family still able to attend school; her older brother had to leave his studies early to work and support the household. Her parents rely heavily on farming to make a living.
Every morning, Nout walks to school with her friends -sometimes riding together on a tractor -and she looks forward to each day of learning, especially in her favorite subject, Lao language.
After school, she helps her family feed the pigs and chickens before doing her homework or spending time with friends. Her mother describes her as hardworking and determined. She is proud of her daughter’s commitment and hopeful she will have opportunities that her parents never had. Yet financial pressure has always threatened Nout’s education, and her family worries that she might one day have to leave school like her brother.
Despite these challenges, Nout has never let her situation stop her from dreaming big. She enjoys learning new things and reading aloud with confidence. When asked why she likes going to school, her answer is simple: she wants to become a doctor and help people. She has seen doctors caring for families in her village, and she hopes to become one of them someday, bringing healing and support to the people she loves. She is grateful for the opportunity to stay in school and speaks proudly about her future. She also hopes to be the first person in her family to complete higher education.
Nout’s dream remains alive today because of the support she receives through the Foundational Learning Improvement Project (FLIP), implemented by Save the Children International in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Sports and funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through the System Transformation Grant (STG). GPE places girls’ education and gender equality at the center of its global strategy, recognizing that keeping girls in school is one of the most effective ways to prevent child marriage and ensure equal participation in society. Since 2021, GPE support has helped 91 million girls stay in school and continue learning -demonstrating the transformative impact of investing in girls’ education, especially for those facing financial and social barriers.
Under Component 3 of FLIP project, which provides targeted support for girls at risk of dropping out of lower secondary school, Nout has received essential education assistance that eases the financial burden on her family. This support helps cover basic school-related costs and reassures her mother that she can keep her daughter in school. By working closely with district education offices, village authorities, and schools to identify vulnerable students, FLIP ensures that girls like Nout are not left behind.
Thanks to this project, Nout can continue her education, build her confidence, and move closer to achieving her dream of becoming a doctor—proving that when girls stay in school, their futures open in powerful ways.
*Name has been changed to protect the child’s identity
