Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation supports Karen Hilltribes Trust in Northern Thailand

The Foundation has made a six-figure donation to the charity over the course of a three year commitment.

The KHT is a charity dedicated to helping the marginalised Karen people of Northern Thailand to build a sustainable future for themselves. The charity has three key aims: increase access to education, improve health and secure better livelihoods.

Through these aims, KHT supports the Karen in projects which lead to self-help and sustainability whilst still retaining their identity and culture. The charity has installed clean drinking water for 60,000 people, brought 2,500 acres of farmland back into production and helped thousands through school and university.

Aberdeen’s support will fund two new school dormitories in Mae Hong Son, the poorest of Thailand’s 76 provinces and the only one where the majority of the population are Karen, 64% of whom are living in extreme poverty. These dormitories will enable 110 more Karen children to stay in school accommodation every year and will provide daily school meals at eight schools for 425 Karen children. An additional bus service will take 272 children from 11 Karen villages to school every day.

Around 180,000 Karen people have already benefitted from the charity so far and new projects such as Aberdeen’s dormitory building support aims to reach the poorest and most isolated parts of the community.

Andrew Laing, Chairman of the Board of the Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation, said: “Aberdeen has a strong presence in Asia, with ten offices in the Asia Pacific region including Bangkok, so I am really pleased that employees globally have chosen to support the Karen Hilltribes Trust in Thailand. Sustainability is key in all that we do, not just in business but at all levels, so the charities work is vitally important to ensure the Karen people thrive.”

Korawut Leenabanchong, Country Head of Thailand for Aberdeen Asset Management, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Karen Hilltribes Trust in order to help improve the quality of life and welfare of the 400,000Karen people living in Thailand. To be able to see first-hand what the charity has already done is inspirational and we look forward to working together for the next three years.”

William Harnden, Director of The Karen Hilltribes Trust said: “To have been selected as Aberdeen Asset Management’s next emerging markets charity partner through a vote from their own employees worldwide is thrilling. It is testament to the importance Aberdeen put into such projects and with their help we can now give even more Karen people empowerment to help themselves in a sustainable way.”

The Karen Hilltribes Trust becomes the fifth emerging markets charity partner to be supported by the Foundation, alongside ABC Trust, SeeBeyondBorders, AfriKids and ChildHope. Projects have taken place in Brazil, Cambodia, Ghana, Peru and now Thailand.

The Aberdeen Asset Management Charitable Foundation was established in 2012 to formalise and develop Aberdeen’s charitable giving strategy.

It has two main themes:

Emerging Markets – Aberdeen has committed to develop a number of strategic partnerships with charities tackling the educational needs of disadvantaged young people in emerging markets. Each year, an emerging market is selected by the Foundation’s Board and employees have the opportunity to vote for a project in that country which will receive support for a three year period.

Local Communities – To complement this international focus, each Aberdeen office around the world has established its own charity committee, whose remit is to manage local giving activities and to promote volunteering.