Our Fund Isaan volunteers mentor youth for a better future

Mar 09, 2020

At delaware we believe the world in which we work defines our organizational and personal health. We want people to know they can find a purpose, whether it is by donating to a cause that is near to our hearts, or by taking up the responsibility to join a program on the other side of the globe. Through all of our initiatives and efforts, small and big, we believe we will see a positive change in our surroundings.

What is Fund Isaan?

Delivering ICT solutions for a better world is at the core of what we do, which is why we immediately related to the needs of Fund Isaan in Thailand. The living situation in this region, the poorest area of Thailand, makes it difficult for children to attend school. As their parents struggle to get by, kids leave school at an early age and even start working in very poor conditions. Studying is not a priority, teachers often lack skills to teach English or IT, the rural population depends on dial-up connections and the number of pupils in the same classroom often reaches 40 or more. This is definitely not the ideal situation for kids to enjoy education.

Fund Isaan commits to a better future for these children and their family by providing computer classes with Internet facilities at rural schools. They sponsor children with little financial means through scholarships and teach English, in cooperation with schools and universities in Surin and surrounding provinces.

I never thought the impact of what we were going to do could be this big. After finalizing the installation of one computer class, the whole school even organized a ceremony to officially open the new computer classes with wonderful festivities included.

Stijn Piron, delaware volunteer

Gratitude for what we learn

Working together with Fund Isaan was a perfect match in terms of team spirit, entrepreneurship and the values we stand for. People share their world and open up their homes. Teachers provide students with opportunities to develop their skills in an environment where they feel engaged through active learning and self-awareness activities.

For 6 weeks, Ellen Van Boven and colleague Mélanie Buchmann volunteered as English teachers in Surin province, a rural area in Thailand. They enjoyed working with the teachers, who provided them with guidance at school, opening up their world to new possibilities and new ways of learning.

Reflecting on this period, I feel so much gratitude and I’m very thankful to all the students for being so motivated to learn, for being just themselves and for making my job the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I tried to pass on as much as knowledge as possible, but I also learned so much from everyone there.

Ellen Van Boven, delaware volunteer

Tom and Stijn, on the other hand, spent 2 weeks at Fund Isaan to enhance the IT classrooms. Installing computers helps these kids and their families to prepare for a better future.

The whole school shows their gratitude by organizing a ceremony to open the class. Some of those ceremonies are amazing, with the whole school present. We enjoyed traditional Thai dances and other wonderful festive activities that are typical of the hospitable Thai culture.

Tom Hertsens, delaware volunteer

At delaware we believe in our dream as a way to get personally involved in initiatives to make the world a better place.

Care, Team Spirit, Entrepreneurship, Commitment & Respect are highly valued. That is why we encourage our people to be a mentor – so both mentor and mentee can have meaningful careers by embracing differences and putting people first.

“Believe in yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. You can do what you want to do, you can become who you want to be.

Mélanie Buchmann, delaware volunteer

At delaware, we launch plenty of initiatives to motivate and inspire our employees to be the best possible versions of themselves. Read more on our CSR page.