Early on in my placement I joined the committee of the 1% Fund Thailand, which was established almost 30 years ago by VSO staff and volunteers in Thailand. More on that in a moment…
In January, I joined the board of governors of a local organisation here in Mae Sot that supports some of the migrant learning centres, and most recently I have signed up to be one of VSO’s “Development Advocates” – volunteers who contribute to raising awareness and changing perceptions of issues relating to international development by sharing stories and information from their placement country.
This post is dedicated to the tremendous success of
the 1% Fund over the years in supporting some of the most marginalised and
vulnerable communities in Thailand and Burma.
How did it start?Way back in the 1960s, the United Nations recommended that developed countries give 1% of their GNP for international development funding. Very few nations stepped up to commit this amount of money to help developing countries. (Quiz Question – what percentage do you think the UK gives today? Answer at the end of the post)
In 1976, a small group of UN staff in Geneva decided to lead by example and created their own fund for development by setting aside 1% of their salaries.
In 1985 a group of VSO volunteers in Thailand picked up on the idea and started donating 1% of their monthly allowance towards a fund to support small-scale grassroots projects. These projects aim to improve the lives of families and communities in Thailand and Burma.
A
secondary aim of the fund was to demonstrate what
can be accomplished with a donation of 1% of income, and thereby encourage
people the world over to start similar funding schemes. The 1% Fund has
always been run by current volunteers, so the administrative costs are almost
zero. This means almost all the money goes directly to the people whom the fund
is designed to support. More recently, with the number of VSO volunteers in
Thailand decreasing, we have received support from the United Nations 1% for
Development Fund in Geneva.
Who does the Fund support?In selecting applications for funding, the committee looks in particular for projects which benefit communities sustainably over the long term, that will have a positive impact for women in the community, and that will limit harm to the environment. The idea is to provide support to small-scale community projects that would be unlikely to obtain funding from larger donors or other sources. The 1% Fund provides small grants of up to 20,000 Baht – equivalent to around £400.
Over the years, the range of projects that have been funded is impressive.
Here is a small selection:
- Local environmental improvements including clean water supplies
- Small-scale community farming projects
- Teacher training in Burma
- Income generation projects, focusing on empowerment for local women and girls
- Supporting education for children in the refugee camps
- Capacity building projects for emerging civil society organisations
- Youth training projects
- Fundraising initiatives for AIDS orphans
- Adult literacy classes in the refugee camps
- Agricultural conservation projects
With VSO now planning to close its remaining programmes in Thailand and move into Burma instead, we are coming to the end of an era with the 1% Fund Thailand. We are in the process of administering the final project grants and wrapping up the fund. I feel tremendously privileged to have had the opportunity to be involved in this initiative. I have been impressed by the dedication and resourcefulness of the individuals and groups involved when it comes to improving the lives and futures of people in their communities. So many of the projects depend upon local people giving freely of their time and energy, working together to get the job done. The will and commitment to self-improvement is there, and often a very small amount of money can turn a community’s vision for a brighter future into reality.
Quiz Question: you will find the answer in this short video.
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