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Bangkok 7 May 2009 – One hundred children of migrant workers from Thailand received a total of 800,000 baht towards educational expenses from The Western Union Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Western Union Company – a program aimed at empowering migrant families through education and economic opportunities.
The Western Union Foundation Education Grants, which will pay for educational expenses of Thai overseas workers’ school-going kids such as tuition fees, costs of school books or uniforms, is a collaborative initiative led by The Western Union Foundation and the Education for Development Foundation (EDF), with the support of the Thailand Overseas Employment Administration (TOEA), and Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour.
The grant recipients, the children of Thai nationals working overseas, were chosen from over 1,700 applications and were based on their individual economic circumstances.
Individual grants were presented by Pichai Expitakdamrong, Director-General, Department of Employment at a ceremony at the office of the Overseas Employment Administration Office, Dindaeng District, Bangkok.
“Our 15-year association with migrant workers from Thailand tells us that they live and work overseas to build a better future for their families and to pay for basic necessities such housing, food, clothing and education. For those who are parents, education is a priority for their children,” says Vipawan Yongvikul, Country Director, Thailand, The Western Union Company.
“The annual upfront cost of school books, uniforms and lump-sum fee payments are difficult pressures, however, they cannot be ignored. Often these parents have to resort to loans from families, or unscrupulous lenders.
“The thinking behind the Western Union Foundation Education Grants program is that the grants should meet practical, immediate, and indispensable needs. It is designed to lessen migrant workers’ financial burden.
“We support the expert views that education is important to breaking the cycle of poverty,” said Vipawan.
The Western Union Foundation Education Grants program is an extension of The Western Union Foundation’s regional initiative in Asia which has seen grants extended to children of migrant workers in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
“The opportunity to receive a small boost towards education expenses for Thai nationals working overseas is a bonus but it is also an important reminder to these families that education is essential to improve the overall quality of living in the future,” says Pichai Expitakdamrong, Director-General, Department of Employment.
“Children are the leading force of the country in future and I hope our grant recipients will use this opportunity to achieve the best for their own families and in turn for the community and our country.
“I commend organizations like Western Union for spearheading such funding initiatives and I also praise the collaborative efforts by the key organizations such as the Thailand Overseas Employment Administration (TOEA) and the Education for Development Foundation (EDF) for coming together to make it happen in a systematic and efficient manner.
“Working together always ensures a better result and I am delighted to be personally associated with such an initiative and I hope we will see more to come.”
“The Western Union Foundation Education Grants program is worth a magnificent opportunity for those with less privilege to invest for their future by gaining knowledge and skills for individual development,” says Charuwat Boossamalee, Project Development Director, EDF. The Western Union Foundation Education Grants program is not the only community program introduced in Thailand. Late last year, The Western Union Foundation launched Fund Granting for Education and Self and Sustainable Development Agricultural Project at 2 schools in Udon Thani province.
The Western Union Foundation’s goal is to facilitate global economic opportunity. In 2007, Western Union introduced Our World, Our Family®, a US$50 million, five-year initiative to empower migrant families worldwide, helping them stay connected, overcome barriers, and realize their dreams.
* About The Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation began in 2000 as a philanthropic organization to facilitate charitable giving program worldwide. Through the generous donations of The Western union Company, our employees, Agents and others, the Foundation helps to fund programs that enhance the quality of life for those most in need around the world.
* About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in the money transfer segment of global payments. Together with its Orlandi Valuta and Vigo branded money transfer services, Western Union provides consumers with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, as well as send payments and purchase money orders. It operates through a network of more than 379,000 Agent locations in over 200 countries and territories as of March 2009. Famous for its pioneering telegraph services, the original Western Union dates back to 1851. For more information, visit www.westernunion.co.th.
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