Northeast Thailand, known as the Isan Region, is the largest region in the Kingdom with 19 provinces and is the most populated area in the country, but also the poorest economically. Over 80% of the people are farmers. Isan is a very flat region facing the problems of flooding every year. When flooding occurs, crops are also destroyed. The rest of the year, this region is very dry and lacks of rain arise. People there are living on rice crops and thus depend on the weather.
It is a commonly known fact that the level of education attained by people in Isan is on average below the level at which education is compulsory. Some children do not get a chance to go to school at all as they are needed to help support the family. With only few years of education, the kind of work offered to them is merely a low-paid menial work.
EDF is a long established, non-profit organization whose primary aim is to provide scholarships for disadvantaged students in rural Northeast Thailand. Normally, a three-year scholarship is provided by a single donor to assist a student with financial difficulty to complete three years of junior high school. Donors will receive annual report of personal information on the educational progress of the students they are supporting. On behalf of donors, EDF has liaised closely with the Provincial Committees in order to ensure the transparency and efficiency in the transfer and management of scholarship funds awarded to students.
