NUF Works
NUF first implemented its scholarship program in 1988, granting 41 scholarships to disadvantaged students in Udonthani. Its mission was to prolong the school life of rural children who traditionally struggled with attendance because of the lack of financial means, thereby missing the learning opportunities to which they were rightfully entitled. Since then NUF has granted many more scholarships and continues in its commitment to empowering disadvantaged children through education.
Over the two decades, with ongoing monetary supports from various sources both in Thailand and abroad, NUF has delivered scholarships worth over 472 million baht to more than 300,000 disadvantaged students in 4,000 schools throughout all 20 north-eastern provinces, and some other provinces in Thailand as well.
The inequality of access to educational opportunities has improved steadily the past decades, however, disparities remain. The Situation Report on Thai Education 2007/8 revealed that students from impoverished backgrounds were the most at risk from multiple educational threats, such as less opportunity to enroll in school, poor academic performance and dropping out of school early. Combined, these factors severely reduce their chances of attaining a higher level of education. Common social and economic consequences of such premature graduation or complete lack of education are: forced and underpaid informal employment, teenage pregnancy, and the increased likelihood of being pushed into crime and prostitution.
The NUF Scholarship Program helps to circumvent the circumstances that create such bleak futures. Disadvantaged children receive direct benefit from attending school, and further benefit in the long-term, reaping the advantages of that education. Still, one of the biggest obstacles to their learning is the belief that education aggravates family financial hardship. The NUF scholarship program is working by example to change this perception. Education is a powerful, life-saving tool that not only helps safeguard children from potential economic and social risks, but also transforms them into contributing members of society, empowering their families and their communities, making the future better and brighter for everyone.