iCare Thailand is presently doing work all over Thailand. Trying to make life better for Thai people living in poverty or without access to education. This article is the backstory as to why and how they do it.
The iCare Thailand Foundation, which was founded by a Dane and a Norwegian, has spent the last 12 years fighting poverty in Thailand. Building dormitories, giving away bikes, scholarships and English lessons. Letting families or individuals borrow carts in Bangkok slums to make it possible to sell goods to support their families. All because they believe they can make a difference.
iCare Thailand was founded By Karin and Yngwar Andreassen, but also in collaboration with Thai partners and sponsors. It doesn’t get support from the Scandinavian countries even though it was founded by Scandinavians. It is a bit old school and focuses on networking. More attention to creating change than creating publicity. This foundation was born from a spontaneous decision in Denmark.
A decision that was the beginning of a life-long journey
In 1981 Danish Karin Andreassen and her Norwegian husband Yngvar Andreassen decided to uproot their lives in Denmark and travel to Thailand.
They had a strong need to feel like they made a difference, so when a Norwegian friend sent them a letter asking if they wanted to come help fight poverty in Bangkok they decided to jump at the opportunity. They had no education in the field, but they weren’t too anxious. Carrying three suitcases and their son Michael they arrived in Bangkok.
“ So, yeah it was a big decision, but when you are young, you tend to not overthink. We thought if it works it works, and if not…then we’ll just go back home,” Karin Andreassen explains while laughing. She continues: “We had no idea that we would be here for so long”.
Karen, Yngwar and Michael have been in Thailand ever since.
A new home with a big purpose
“I think we made the decision to focus on the positive in Thailand and the changes we could make. A lot of foreigners primarily focus on the negative,” Karin Andreassen explains.
What started as Karin and Yngwar working with other organizations and homeschooling three year old Michael eventually turned into them creating their own foundation, iCare Thailand, which today is run by a full grown Michael Andreassen.
Michael Andreassen grew up in Thailand. He speaks Thai and has seen poverty and the hardship that Thai people deal with every day from a very young age. When asked how he copes mentally with these difficult things that are a part of his everyday life he sighs:
“Whatever you do, you’re always going to find things that you can’t change. But there are lots of things that you can change, and that’s where you need to place your focus to work like this,” he explains. “And we’ve seen incredible stories of kids who have done amazing things, coming out of very difficult circumstances”.
The iCare Thailand Foundation’s main focus is to fight poverty and make education more accessible for Thai children. They work all over Thailand. Among other things they build dormitories in the countryside and teach English in the Bangkok slum.
So far they have built 27 dormitories, they have donated over 700 bicycles to make it easier for children to get to school and they have given 45 university scholarships to children, so they can continue their education. Furthermore they teach English in Bang Sue, Bangkok every week.
Proving that your serious
The iCare Thailand Foundation is funded primarily by individual sponsors. However it has been a process finding them:
“We weren’t backed by Scandinavia, of course friends and family sent a bit, but as we were doing the work that needed to be done, people saw that what we did was real,” Michael Andreassen explains.
Walking door to door iCare Thailand found people who believed in their cause. Today these people are spreading word of the work the foundation does.
One of these sponsors is the businessman Subhakich Lewcharlermwongse. Every year he organizes the event “Sing for Charity”, where people donate for the iCare Thailand Foundation.
Trust and seeing the change is what, in Michael Andreassens opinion, makes sponsors support them.
Today iCare Thailand has multiple sponsors both private and corporate. Primarily Thai people who either still live in Thailand or moved away.
Recently the work of iCare Thailand has expanded, and it has therefore been possible to get support from amongst others the government of Germany and the South Korean Government.
“However we like to focus on our work, and not spend too much time advertising ourselves,” Michael Andreassen says.
To make a difference without invading
“It is important not to impose on things that already work, but add onto it,” Michael Andreassen states.
He specifically talks about the dormitories that ICare Thailand is building in several places in Thailand.
“The school system is already there, and it works. With our dormitories we just make it more accessible for more kids. The schools run them during the day to day life.”
Michael underlines the importance of making it possible for people to be active in the change in their life.
“It creates a different kind of hope”
Michael Andreassen has worked to create better opportunities for people his entire life just like his parents. The iCare Foundation has been registered for 12 years, but Karin, Yngwar and Michael Andreassen has been working for this cause since they arrived in 1981.
To read more about the work of iCare Thailand click here
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