Darunee Fund 
for Education in Asia
|
for Education in Asia
|
|
What
is Darunee Fund?
Newsletters
|
It all started with little DaruneeIn the spring of 1987, Darunee, a bright young girl living in a rural Thai
village, had just turned seven. She had that year embarked upon the adventure of
schooling; she was about to finish first grade. Darunee had many exciting plans
for when she grew up. Education is compulsory in Thailand only through the sixth grade. There is a middle school in her village, but its doors were locked to Darunee. The cost of schooling beyond sixth grade was insurmountable for her family and the families of most of her friends. What lay in store for Darunee after elementary school was what has always awaited poor children from such villages: working in the field, fetching water, caring for her siblings, tending the home. For other children her age, precarious farming conditions in the area might make a living wage impossible for their families; the children may have to travel to Bangkok to work under heartbreaking conditions. The northeast of Thailand, where Darunee's village is located, is the poorest region in the country. the average annual income is approximately 1/10 of that earned in Bangkok - less for a poor family. Paradoxically, the industrial and commercial development which has brought such growth to the big cities has served to worsen the plight of the rural Thai villages as the young people, like Darunee, are often forced to abandon their homes in order to survive. In Darunee's case, however, things have turned out differently. In 1987, at the invitation of Thai students actively involved in international education, Asiamerica's founding director, Terumasa Akio, visited northeast Thailand and by chance met little Darunee. He was tremendously impressed by her strong desire for education, even at the age of seven. This meeting served as the inspiration for the Darunee Scholarship program. The name symbolizes our hope that many children will have the opportunity to obtain the education so desperately desired. The scholarships provide a very real chance of a better life not only for Darunee but for the entire generation she represents.
|
|
Darunee Fund The U.S. office of Darunee Fund has
transferred operations to the Bangkok, Thai, headquarters of The Education for
Development Foundation. Darunee Fund is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit, EIN
38-3266227, incorporated in Michigan in 1995. |
