Started in October 2004 as the MANO ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE (MANO) by German-born Claus Haumer, our English language centre has seen significant growth over the years and, after a successful period as the MEKONG ENGLISH CENTRE (MEC), it became ENGLISH FOR EVERYONE (E4E).
E4E is an English language centre catering primarily for countryside students who come to Luang Prabang to escape a hard life as farmers hoping to find better opportunities in town.
In the thriving tourism industry in Laos there is a great need for people who speak English and are able to communicate well in this language. Although the Lao education system is improving with its Lao and English studies, a centre like E4E offers extra expertise to accommodate eager and ambitious students to become successful in their objectives.
E4E is a language centre that offers extra-curricular English classes. This means we operate after regular work and school-hours, Mondays to Fridays from 16:30 to 20:30. After an initial period in the early days of the centre, when classes were taught by foreigners, E4E has seen a host of E4E-graduates, all Lao, in teaching positions, a routine we still uphold today.
As most of our students originate from the countryside and as such are by definition limited in their financial capabilities, E4E has always provided its classes at low tuition fees in the attempt to make our classes accessible to as many as possible. To further enable the countryside students to follow classes at E4E, we offer sponsorships to those who are unable to pay the fees themselves.
Due to our character as a social enterprise, we have enjoyed lasting support of a couple of foundations and individual sponsors which have enabled many E4E students over the years to attend and successfully complete English courses through the sponsoring of tuition fees. Most of this support goes into, as we call it, ‘partial sponsorship’, where the student pays half the fee, and the sponsor pays half. This approach alleviates the financial burden for the student, but at the same time requires some commitment from the student.
E4E also provides English classes to groups of students at the local orphanage. These kids have not much more than the clothes on their backs. Thanks to our sponsors these students can study with E4E free of charge.
In short, E4E has been working very successfully for more than 20 years. It has enabled so many people to develop and exchange a traditionally harsh countryside life for a more promising future that benefits both them and their families. We consider ourselves fortunate to having played a small part in that process and are hopeful and eager to continue to provide these opportunities in the future.
E4E in action
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E4E aims to be a self-supporting school. However, the 'profit' we generate is not so much expressed in coins and notes but in a life that sees a positive change. We need a little help to be able to keep doing this.
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