VFI believes empowering local leaders is the best way to create global change. Our work emphasizes the following values:
VFI’s operations and projects are managed almost exclusively by Lao nationals.
We work at the village level to address the unique challenges each community faces regarding safety, security and access to food and livelihood opportunity.
Every aspect of our work, from counter-trafficking to agriculture, is tailored to empower women and girls and increase their agency in local communities.
We build vulnerable individuals’ knowledge and confidence to exercise their rights and strengthen the ability of local government agencies to protect them.
VFI develops multi-sector partnerships and is seen as an honest broker among villagers, private corporations, and the Lao government.
VFI makes information, tools, resources, and support widely available to villages, companies, and government agencies to push sustainable change.
We strive to increase Lao citizens’ involvement in policy making by supporting village-level decision-making and advocating for national policy reforms to benefit local communities.