“Our policy is ‘every cent donated goes to the projects’. We don’t [personally] take any money to run this foundation,” said International Support Group Foundation (ISGF) president Pan Bencharit.

The core group of 15 women strongly believes they can make the life of underprivileged people better even though some of them are of retirement age.

The ISGF, based in Bangkok, has undertaken charity projects including an education scheme; the Thailand Hill-tribe Education Project (THEP); a Pak Kret project on welfare, physiotherapy and healthcare; a plan to help wheelchair-bound patients; community support; and establishing a dental clinic.

With its motto “Helping people to support themselves”, the foundation has focused on its Pak Kret Welfare-Physiotherapy-Healthcare scheme. Initiated in 2002, it supports financial aid to the Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities at Pak Kret Homes – housing for young disabled people aimed to provide individual rehabilitation and training.

A wide range of voluntary projects is also being run by the group with limited staff resources. Lack of staff has become one of the major concerns, said fundraising coordinator Rita Indhewat, adding that a new generation of volunteers is needed to carry on projects and sustain the foundation.

The voluntary activities are funded mostly by donations from local and foreign supporters. Each year, waiting lists for each project get longer, the foundation said.

Prompted by these increasing demands, the foundation will hold a fundraising event – its first event in seven years – scheduled for June 4 at the Napalia Ballrom, Dusit Thani Hotel between 6.30pm and 11pm. Volunteers are also being sought to help the foundation carry on its charity work.

The foundation hopes to hire more physiotherapists and special teachers and purchase equipment. It has already realised promising results after providing therapists for severely handicapped people, which is an effort the foundation plans to expand.

In addition, the foundation has offered scholarships to disadvantaged students nationwide.

Every year, hundreds of talented, limited-income students ranging from kindergarten to university age are selected by the Department of Public Welfare and receive funding from the foundation until they graduate.

“Right now, we have almost 500 students under our support, mostly in Isaan [the Northeast] and the far North,” said Dhanistha. Volunteers are kept informed by personal updates from students to strengthen and prolong their relationships.