Laos – DGRV

About the project

The DGRV Team in Laos works on all three levels. On the Macro level the team advices the local partners, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Bank of Lao, in matters of a cooperative law. Additionally, DGRV offers capacity building in various areas for the partner’s staff. On the Meso level DGRV Laos strengthens cooperative networks with organizational capacity building to foster exchange between cooperatives and strengthen their role. Finally, on the Micro level DGRV Laos works closely with individual cooperatives to build model cooperatives. DGRV Laos always takes into account the needs of the target groups and uses various instruments (study tours, internships, trainings) to reach its goal.

The project is funded by the BMZ – Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and is currently running until the end of 2020.

Activities

Some activity highlights in 2019 include:

Audit Training for Bank of Lao staff
Saving and Credit Union Certificate Course for Board of Directors in close cooperation with the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions
Saving and Credit Union Forums
Cooperation Agreement with the National University of Laos
Bookkeeping Trainings for Cooperatives
Training of Trainers for Good Cooperate Governance
Trainings in Financial Literacy
Support the Vanmai Coffee Cooperative in Huapahn in close cooperation with UNODC (for more information see http://vanmaicoffee.com/)

Partner

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – DRDC – Department of Rural Development and Cooperatives

The Department of Rural Development and Cooperatives is responsible for supporting and overseeing all agricultural cooperatives as well as farmer and production groups within Laos.

Bank of Lao – Financial Institutions Supervision Department

The Financial Institutions Supervision Department is responsible for supervision and auditing the Savings and Credit Unions in Laos.

Office

DGRV – Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e. V. – Laos
German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation Laos

Ban Phonsavanh-Tai, Unit 5, House No 071
Sisattanak District
P.O. Box 11370
Vientiane Capital
Lao PDR

F. +856 21 263 559
laos@dgrv.coop

Employees

Project Director

Mr. Holger Grages

Project Manager

Ms. Vimonlath Vannavong

Project Accounting/Finances

Ms. Valaphone Panyasiri

Other projects in the region

Asia

Cambodia

With its country-wide programme in Cambodia, DRGV aims at promoting a functioning, multi-level cooperative system that enables cooperatives, and very specifically their farmer members to improve their individual economic situation. By promoting cooperative self-help, the project contributes to improving economic and social structures, strengthening civil society and reducing poverty.