Hello from Mae Hong Son, a small town in the North West corner of Thailand near the Burmese Border. With the help of my friends and colleagues, the ACY foundation was established and registered in Thailand in 2005. ACY is an acronym for Assisting Children and Youth. It is a non-profit organization with absolutely no religious, political, or activist agendas.

Whereas the UN and NGOs (Non Government Organizations) provide aid to refugees, stateless people, and migrant workers, their mandates usually prevent funding programs for the poor Thai/hill tribe children. We decided to focus ACY’s efforts on these children, since they receive little or no material assistance. Currently the ACY Foundation concentrates on helping poor school children in the mountain province of Mae Hong Son.

Presently the organization operates on a small budget. Fortunately, ACY has been able to secure an office rent-free, and all materials for distribution are stored free of charge by the ThaiSaree Company. In addition, our material suppliers give us generous discounts on purchases.

The students we provide for are extremely needy. The village schools are so remote that many lack electricity. Bathrooms and clean water facilities are scarce. Usually, a four-wheel drive truck is required to reach the schools, but in some cases no roads exist and the schools can only be reached on foot. We must then organize volunteer porters and walk the supplies to the schools.