Poor children get poor education and so stay poor. They are often forced into low paid, sometimes hazardous jobs at home or abroad. Most village children in Southeast Asia have not learned to speak English and do not know how to use computers and the internet as a way to learn. These children never get the chance to reach their full potential.
Openmind Projects - a Thai non-profit organization
Openmind Projects was launched in 2002 with the objective of improving education opportunities in poor Thai villages with the help of IT.
In Southeast Asia a divide exists between those with access to education resources and those without. It is most obvious between the rich urban areas and poor, isolated villages.
Every year we organize two student camps with children from the Isan area of northeastern Thailand, the poorest region of the country. They range from 9 to 18 years of age and are generally from the poorer families in the region. Volunteers come from abroad to OMP andteach these children anything they themselves are good at, from medicine to engineering, English, IT and so on. Kids realize that education could be a way to improve their current situation. Needless to say they are open and eager to learn!
Each camp lasts for a week, and we receive about a hundred students a year.
Besides the knowledge, a valuable secondary benefit is that through our overseas volunteers students come into contact with a variety of foreign cultures and being exposed to different ways of thinking at an early age can open their minds to a whole range of new possibilities. They will grow and plant the seeds for the future.
Besides our main Center in Nong Khai we have similar facilities in the West and South of the country. A total of 3 Centers in Thailand.
Aside from these we run projects in a host of neighboring countries such as: Laos, Cambodia and Nepal.
We usually rely on the volunteers donations to run these facilities and pay our personnel, but this depletes most of the allotted resources and any upgrades and improvements are made impossible. This has been the situation for years and we would need to attract outside help to better our infrastructure.
Our Center is the heart of Openmind Projects. This is where we reach out and invite young people from rice farming villages and factories to stay and learn for FREE for shorter or longer periods. Many of our trainees have over the years gone on to study further, to better jobs or have gone back to help their friends and families at home.
The Center is where our staff work and some live too.
Here we arrange several holiday camps around the year. They are free for poor, local students from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Currently about a hundred student attend per year.
At the Center we also train our overseas volunteers before they go to join their assigned projects. We carry out twelve 3-day training sessions per year.
Our Center is located in Nong Khai, Thailand, the gateway to Laos. Ideally, we want to invite more trainees, volunteers and children to these camps.
Our Center has served us well. However, as time went by termites, camps, monsoon rains and other factors took their toll on our building. Computers are old and the bedrooms, toilets and showers need repairs. Ceilings are leaking and the roofs and windows need replacement. Our outdoor kitchen needs better cooking and storing facilities.
And we need more room. Several of our trainees and volunteers (sometimes 6 or more) sleep in each room, on floor mattresses or in bunk beds. With additional space we can invite more trainees, volunteers and children to these camps and fewer people need to share a room.
Last but certainly not least, we need more and up to date IT equipment. Many of our computers are now in deplorable state and definitely aren't the fastest ones on the planet. It can be hard to teach children about computers when they are slow and unresponsive. This too is an issue we want to address. Part of the donations we receive will go to new hardware/equipment.
4. What we can do with your support
Our top priority right now is repairing and upgrading our main Center in Nong Khai. With your support we’ll improve the following things:
2 more bedrooms with 4 fans, 4 beds and 4 mattresses will cost us 60,000 Baht
Improved and repaired showers (one for males, one for females), one more toilet will cost 50,000 Baht
12 more PCs and one more router for Wi-Fi will cost us 190,000 Baht
Our outdoor kitchen needs one more stove, 2 new fridges and 2 more cabinets that will cost 65,000 Baht
New ceilings (termite problems and leaking) for 5 bedrooms, our office and the hall will cost 60,000 Baht
Awnings outside bedrooms (to keep bedrooms cooler and save energy) will cost 35,000 Baht
Overall, long time termite protection will cost 30,000 Baht
Total 490,000 Baht, about $15,500 US
5. Why we're crowd funding
Ever since we launched our NGO in 2002 we relied heavily on volunteer donations to sustain our activity. We also managed to expand but at a very slow pace since most of our resources went in keeping things going.
Obviously, this is very uncertain territory and getting the necessary funds has proved to be a month to month challenge for years.
Fortunately, with sites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter we can now talk to people who want to help but can’t necessarily come to Thailand.
We believe in the good nature of people, their desire to help others, and have witnessed it time and time again with our volunteers. You can still help even if you’re far away.
You will receive a Thank You picture from the whole OMP team and our best wishes, wherever you may be.
1 claimed
Thank You Video
$15 USD
You will receive a Thank You Video from the whole OMP team and our sincere thanks,
3 claimed
Name on the site
$20 USD
We'll create a new page on the site including your name. Our very own Hall of Funding.
3 claimed
Personalized Thank You Photo
$30 USD
We'll take a photo especially for you with one of our members holding a sign with Your Name on it and we'll add your Name on the Site.
1 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Personalized Thank You Video
$50 USD
We'll record a unique video for you where one of our members will Personally Thank You by name and we'll add your Name on the Site.
8 claimed
Global Supporter
$100 USD
You will receive a Donation Certificate(shipped), your Name on the Site and a Personalized Thank You Video.
4 claimed
Global Contributor
$175 USD
You will receive a Donation Certificate(shipped), your Name on the Site, a Personalized Thank You Video and a locally woven Silk Fabric .
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Global Friend
$250 USD
You will receive a Donation Certificate(shipped), your Name on the Site, a Personalized Thank You Video, a locally woven Silk Fabric and a Unique Student Hand Drawing.
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Changemaker
$500 USD
We will create a Panel at our Centre displaying your name at all times, we'll add your Name on the Site, we'll send a Personalized Thank You Video and a locally woven Silk Fabric. Along with our warmest thanks.
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Protector
$1,000 USD
We will create a Panel at our Centre displaying your name at all times, we'll add your Name on the Site, we'll send a Personalized Thank You Video, a locally woven Silk Fabric and a Unique Student Drawing.
0 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Philantropist
$3,500 USD
You are invited to Thailand! Accommodation and food is on us. Explore the Isaan area with our staff and witness the living conditions in villages and the traditional Thai way of life.
If you can't come, you still get the Protector perks.