Foundation for the Education of Rural Children

Scholarships that make a difference

We are FERC, a non-profit organization that gives Thai students from low-income families the opportunity to finish their secondary education.

About FERC

Why is FERC necessary?

In Thailand, a basic education up to 15 years of age is proved by the government. But beyond that parents must pay several additional cost, like school uniforms, school supplies, textbooks, transportation and school meals.

Many low-income family in Northern Thailand can’t afford these expenses. Their children are forced to leave school at 15 years of age. Completing secondary education would give them the chance to escape the cycle of poverty.

How it all started

In the summer of 1999 a group of American women living in Chiang Mai organized a fundraising event to collect money for the Viengping Children’s Home. This orphanage desperately needed a vehicle to periodically visit the 80 children in the foster homes.

Encouraged by the overwhelming success of the event the organisers decided to continue meeting and hold further fundraisers on an annual basis. The process of becoming a Thai Foundation had begun and FERC continues to this day.

In the years that followed, FERC raised funds for several large projects, including pre-school facilities in remote villages and dormitories at schools where many children from remote villages attended.

Covid made the situation worse

Due to the covid pandemic, many people lost their income partially or even completely. When schools reopened after the pandemic, more than 120,000 school desks remained empty. FERC has used its own reserves to sponsor additional students. But new sponsors and donors are needed more than ever.

Help fill the school benches again

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 the 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.