Ben became a Fund Isaan scholarship student at the age of 14 year. In 2011, she was proposed by the teachers and the director of Tabao Witthaya School because of her very difficult situation at home. Ben’s mother fell from a tree and was not able to walk anymore. Ben’s father was a rice farmer, struggling to make enough money to support his family, especially after his wife’s accident. Ben also had a five year younger brother.     

In early July 2017, with the helps of volunteers from both delaware consulting and Deloitte Belgium, and the students from Rajamangala University of Technology Isan (Surin), we installed four new computer classes at Banpluang (Bamrungrat) School, Saikeaw Wittaya School (replacement of previously installed class) , Cheupleung Wittaya School (replacement of previously installed class)  and lastly at Tangjai Wittayakhom School.

We met Nui in 2010 when she was in the last year of her secundary school. Nui lived with her grandfather and father. Her parents were divorced and her father was too sick to work. Her mother worked as a maid and sent her a little money sometimes. Nui was an extremely bright student but was about to stop school because she could not effort to enroll at the university. We immediately agreed to grant Nui a Fund Isaan scholarship.

In november 2016 Fund Isaan asked an education specialist to assess the level of English teaching in the Isaan region. Surindra Rajabhat University and Fund Isaan worked closely together during this project. One observation was that by the time students complete Mathayom 6, their last year of high school, they still have only very basic English skills. A lack of proficient English language skills by the teachers at secundary school attributes to students’ low performance. Students are taught to memorize vocabulary and grammar, but they are not shown how to use the language in practice.

In 2008 Tun became one of the very first scholarship students in our program.

She was 14 years old and studied at Ban Thanong School in grade 3. Tun had one brother who stopped school at the age of 14. Seen the financial situation of the family Tun was about to undergo the same faith. Luckily a teacher at her school pointed her in the direction of Fund Isaan, a then newly created non-profit that offered non-refundable scholarships to bright students like Tun.