The Education for Development Foundation (EDF) is a Thai International Foundation, established in 1987, that helps underprivileged children and encourage self-reliance through its education programs. EDF approved from the Ministry of Finance as charity organization No.255, with the mission to alleviate poverty, develop education programs and facilitate international communication in order to help disadvantaged children gain access to basic education. With the opportunities created by EDF's programs, these children are able to develop their skills and qualify for better jobs, aiding their communities as well as their families.

The EDF is affiliated with Japan's MINSAI Center which administers the Darunee Scholarship Fund, and has done so for 20 years, which cooperates with International organizations in Asia Pacific area such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.

• In 1996 NEC (Thailand
  Thailand
  Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
  
  ) donated 440 abacus
  Abacus
  The abacus, also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool used primarily in parts of Asia for performing arithmetic processes. Today, abaci are often constructed as a bamboo frame with beads sliding on wires, but originally they were beans or stones moved in grooves in sand or on tablets of...
  
  es (to aid mathematical learning) to the EDF for over 20 secondary schools in Roi Et
  Roi Et
  Roi Et is a town in Northeastern Thailand, capital of the Roi Et Province. It covers the whole tambon Nai Mueang of Mueang Roi Et district. As of 2006 it has a population of 34,229....
  
  , Yasothorn and other provinces in the Northeast.

• After the Tsunami, the EDF granted scholarships of ~1750 baht
  Thai baht
  The baht is the currency of Thailand. It is subdivided into 100 satang . The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand.-History:The baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass...
  
   to 113 Tsunami orphans in Buri Ram, Nakhon Phanom
  Nakhon Phanom
  Nakhon Phanom is a town in northeastern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Phanom Province. The town covers the whole tambon Nai Mueang and Nong Saeng and parts of tambon At Samat and Nong Yat, all of Mueang Nakhon Phanom district...
  
  , and Sakon Nakhon
  Sakon Nakhon
  Sakon Nakhon is a town in Thailand within the Isan region, and capital city of the Sakon Nakhon Province, with a population of approximately 76,000. It has a regional airport in the north, Sakon Nakhon Airport. During World War II, the town became a haven for Free Thais, and a base for Communist...
  
  provinces.

• Up to 2006 the EDF has provided over 200,000 scholarships (Bt300 million / US$7.5 million) for underprivileged students in over 3000 schools nationwide.

EDF has carried out development projects in remote areas of 19 provinces in the Northeastern region of Thailand since 1988.

The specific aim of these projects is to provide opportunities for children to complete their compulsory lower secondary education (grade 7-9). Currently there are more than 260,000 children and 3,800 schools actively involved in the projects, supported by both private donors and government authorities under 61 Educational Service Area Offices in the 19 provinces of the Northeastern Region of Thailand.

To achieve international support, EDF Thailand also liaises with EDF-Lao and EDF-Cambodia to expand education development projects for the children in Lao, Cambodia and Afghanistan through teacher development programs, projects for children with disabilities, and more.
EDF is operating in 4 main areas:

1. To provide educational scholarship to children who have completed primary education (Grade 6) but cannot continue to the secondary level (Grade 7) due to financial difficulties. The grant will be based not on the academic grades but on the family income.

2. To promote and develop children’s self-confidence and skills so they can better support their families and communities.

3. To motivate and encourage harmony and interest to acquire knowledge of utilizing the resources for the development of their community.

4. EDF is a non-profit organization and is not involved in any political issues.

EDF’s objective is not to end poverty but to initiate solid programs that promote the development of people, make potential changes and encourage self-reliance through its education programs.
-EDF Donors-

Thai and International Organizations

Boonthavorn Ceramics Co., Ltd. KSB Pumps Co., Ltd. Naiin bookshops
Siam Cement Group St. Andrew's International School

Japanese Organizations

Advanced Computer Eyes Co., Ltd. Asean Japan Consulting Co., Ltd. Bangkok Long-Stay Japanese Club
Bangkok Mita-Kai Bangkok Seijo-kai Besco & C Co., Ltd.
Club Thailand Card E.L.T. Die Cast Group Enbassy of Japan Ladies Club
Futaba Engineering (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Green Club Hanano (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
H-One Parts (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Japanese International Marriage Club Kingfisher Holdings Limited
Kingswood House (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Kobe College Kyocera Mita (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Lube Technology Co., Ltd. Melco Trading (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Mizuho Corporate Leasing (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Ohara (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Roi-et Sawara Technology Co., Ltd. Sasaki Electric Engineering Co., Ltd.
San-Thap International Co., Ltd. Shinwa Kogyo (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Siam Kotobuki Co., Ltd.
SMFL Leasing (Thailand) Sumisho Leasing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Sanyo Semiconductor Golf Cup
Taisei Trading Co., Ltd. Takigawa Welfare Foundation Thai Bridgestone Co., Ltd.
Thai Hirakawa Guidom Co., Ltd. Thai Irodori No Kai (Saitama-ken Jinkai) Thai Longstay Japanese Club
Thai Yamaha Motors Co., Ltd. Time Education Network Co., Ltd. Tokyo Development Consultants (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Toyota Bangpakong Club Meeting Toyota-Kai TRD Asia Co., Ltd.

External links

• Official EDF page
• EDF facebook page