Foundation for the Education of Rural Children (FERC)

📚 Make a difference for Thai children

Ferc provides scholarships to students from low-income families in Northern Thailand, who would otherwise leave school at 15 years of age. The scholarship enables them to stay on at school for a further three years and gives them the opportunity to go on to further training or academic study, thereby enhancing their career prospects in the future.

As a sponsor, you give a student the chance to escape the cycle of poverty. One student is just one among the many who have to drop out of school early. But for that one student, you can really make a difference. But we realize that with a sponsorship we ask a lot of you. So know that donations, small or large, one-off or periodic, are always welcome.

• A wonderful story about dedication: During the COVID lockdown, students received online education. One of the students sponsored by FERC lives in a remote village where there is no internet and mobile phones have no coverage. This highly motivated and dedicated student walked daily up the mountain to a place where she could pick up the internet signal on her phone so she could follow the online classes.

Become a sponsor and make a difference

, the life of a  student in Northern Thailand. The 3-year sponsorship amount is 6,000 Thai Baht per semester or 12,000 baht per year for a total of 36,000 baht. That’s about $355/€325 per year or $1,065/€975 for 3 years. Quite an expense, but know that your support isn’t just about money, as the student you sponsor will know someone is concerned about them and investing in their future. That’s a priceless feeling.

Or make a difference with a donation

Donations, small or big, are more than welcome. They will be added to our funds to support students without a sponsor, to continue the financial support of a student if a sponsor ends prematurely, and to cover the few administrative costs we’ll have to make.

• Somtjid is a Shan girl. The Shan population is the largest minority in Myanmar. Part of it settled in Thailand because of the deprivation and often armed conflict. Here too they belong to the disadvantaged population groups, but the situation is in any case much safer than across the border. Somtjid wants to become a doctor, but her parents cannot afford the school fees. Thanks to a sponsorship through FERC Somtjid can finish her High School. A first step to make her dream come true. How many lives will she save?

Two frequently asked questions

1. Is my contribution tax deductible? If you are a US citizen and a taxpayer, tax money is deductible through our affiliation agreement with Every.org.
2. Will all my money help the child I'm sponsoring? Yes! All dedicated sponsorship money goes only to providing scholarships. FERC operates with low administration costs (less than 4%). Operational costs come from general funds and often donations by members of the Advisory Committee. Our dedicated volunteers never claim meals, travel, or accommodation expenses.

Click here for all frequently asked questions.

• Mai comes from a Hmong hill tribe village. About 200 people live in her village and Mai wants to study English and Chinese so that later she can work as a guide in her own village. The people in her village form a very close-knit community, which ensures that the Hmong traditions do not disappear. Mai’s first step to make her dreams come true is to graduate from upper secondary school (high school). Her family can't afford the fees, but thanks to a sponsorship through FERC Mai can finish her school and will be qualified to go to university. And maybe one day, when you visit a Hmong village, Mai will be your guide.

Some background on FERC

Founded in 1999, FERC is a charitable organization run entirely by volunteers. We raise funds to help disadvantaged rural children in Northern Thailand benefit fully from their schooling. We are an equal opportunities organization: ethnic, religious, and political backgrounds do not influence our choice of beneficiary or educational activity.

Currently, about 90 children can finish their school thanks to a scholarship from FERC. Every year, about 30 graduate and just as many new ones flow in. FERC is a nice small-scale goal for your contribution, which gives each individual child the chance to escape the poverty spiral. And FERC has only minimal overhead costs. So your contribution goes where it should: to the children.

Visit our website for more information. But if you are a US taxpayer and want a tax deduction, donate through Every.org.