OrFa runs two primary programs in Vietnam: the mentoring program and the scholarship program. The mentoring program pairs a young student that ranges from being in Kindergarten to College/Trade School with a mentor that is appropriate for their age/school level and needs. The partnership is anchored around the goals of professional and personal development. OrFA sponsors six community-based events during the year to promote collaboration, teamwork, and creativity. Mentees may also be enrolled in the scholarship program, which provides students with a modest scholarship averaging $700 USD to be spent on tuition, books, school supplies, tutoring sessions, etc.
Built on the momentum in Vietnam, the Thailand branch of OrFA offers many of the same programming and scholarships for the orphans in Thailand. In 2016, OrFA began a partnership with an orphanage in northern Thailand with approximately 30 children, to provide education-related costs including books, uniforms and school fees, for the orphans. OrFA has continued to work with orphans at that orphanage for the next four years until recently as the center now has sufficient funding going forward to support the children’s education. OrFA provided for ~30 orphans through education scholarships between 2017-2019 in Thailand. We currently work with three orphanages within Chiang Mai, with 27 scholarship recipients so far.
Our efforts in the US continue to focus on fundraising and building our network of supporters. All of our administrative and strategic activities have been and continue to be managed by volunteers. Since OrFA’s inception, our administrative team has overseen the organization and its strategic vision. It’s of crucial importance that we continue to look for and develop the next generation of volunteers and management who will build upon this vision and benefit underserved children throughout Southeast Asia.