Bridge Building : Part 3

We are currently on a journey through Imagine Thailand’s seven OUTWARD FACING VALUES.  We’ve been lingering on Bridge Building, the first of our values, and this month it’s our privilege to explore … pursuing mutually beneficial exchanges.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that no one person or organization can be everywhere and do everything.  We all have our niche, and to be successful we have to know not only the possibilities of that niche, but the limitations.  

Consider this : refugee kids in the Mae Sot area desperately need housing, clothes and education.  That all comes at a cost.  As a charitable foundation, Imagine Thailand can pitch in by developing an international donor base.  Great! The kids can eat and have clothes on their backs, at least for now.  And since our bread and butter is clean water systems, that’s a no-brainer and we’ll do that too. 

But what about the schooling piece?  Imagine isn’t exactly sitting on a bank of teachers who will drop everything to spend the next decade of their lives teaching thousands of kids in NW Thailand.  Now what?

Enter Globish—one of the fastest growing online education start-ups in Thailand, with a particular focus on language learning.  They’re all about corporate social responsibility—CSR for short—but where, how, and to whom?  

So, picture this conversation:

Globish:  Imagine, you’re experts in supporting kids and developing programs. You’ve been doing it for, what, 17 years?  And we want to be responsible citizens.  But where do we even start?

Imagine:  Hey, funny you should ask.  You need guidance and training, we need to provide education.  You want to know where, we’re already there.  You want your employees to get involved, and we’re swamped with needs we can’t possibly handle on our own.

Globish:  So how about you show us the needs?  Then show us how we can fit into this.  Maybe our expertise can fill some of your gaps.

Imagine:  So, there’s this little thing called “school” that thousands of kids currently can’t possibly succeed at.  Language is a huge problem.  We're talking a massive loss of opportunity here. 

Globish:  Language learning?  Now you’re talking about our bread and butter. But our learning platforms are online. Is that a problem?

Imagine:  Is it a problem?!  One of the few bright spots in this whole covid thing is that online has become not only a great way to go, but it's an incredibly efficient way to reach out-of-the-way places like Mae Sot.

Is this a mutually beneficial exchange or what?  Globish gets a hugely satisfying outlet for their corporate responsibility aims.  Imagine gets a way to deliver ongoing education.  Globish employees get to give back to their country and feel good about doing good.  Imagine gets to expand their goal of breaking the cycle of poverty and bringing hope.  

And, above all, kids who could never aspire beyond limited education, impoverished schools, and stunted careers, can now dream, rise and succeed.  Not just till the next hand-out, but as a hand-up for the rest of their lives.

Next month we move from "We Value Building Bridges" to "We Value People". Stay tuned. 

In the meantime: Add value. Act with valour.