Our trusted Field Partners carry out our work on our behalf.

Bihar, India
Field Partner - Sr. Mary Crescence, Superior - Sisters of the Sacred Heart

Sr. Crescence is a Catholic nun who founded the first free evening school in 1996. She is a volunteer and heads up a team of 55 Muslim, Hindu and Christian teachers and supervisors, personally training each teacher. Although well educated and experienced herself as both teacher and administrator, Sr Crescence was born into modest circumstances near her present home in Banuchaper. She has spent her life uplifting the poor and is able to win the trust of illiterate villagers because she not only speaks their dialects but cajoles and persuades with great patience, humor and love. She personally supervises the scholarship program.

Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, India
Field Partner - Dr. Ashish Amos, Secretary General - ISPCK Publishing

Dr. Ashish Amos is an education specialist having founded 5 private schools in Delhi. In 2001, he began to establish and personally finance free education for impoverished children and young mothers.

In 2007 FreeSchools World Literacy began partial funding of 12 schools and 4 Women's Empowerment Centres, and achieved 88% funding in 2009. While the schools are free, they operate in the daytime like formal schools. We rent shelters as the parched land is devoid of trees and shade is at a premium.

Day to day management is handled by Ella Sonawane of ISPCK.

Fang Region of Northern Thailand
Field Partner - The Mirror Foundation

The Mirror Foundation manages our 12 FreeSchools in the Fang area of Chiang Mai province. Mirror is a large Thai NGO working for human rights, cultural understanding and education among hill tribes and other indigenous groups.

In Thailand the barrier to education for hill tribes is language. Most don’t speak, read or write Thai. Each hill tribe has its own language and culture and without Thai becomes isolated and easily exploited. FreeSchools focuses on teaching Thai language skills and mathematics to equip students to enroll in the government schools. However, the cost of transportation, uniforms, books and lunches is often beyond the reach of poor parents. FreeSchools provides modest scholarships for the brightest students in need. Once the FreeSchools become well established, Mirror works cooperatively with education officials to transfer financial responsibility over to the government. At the beginning of the 2009/10 school year, the funding of five FreeSchools was taken over by the government, allowing five more FreeSchools to be opened in needy remote areas.

The Mirror Foundation has a strong volunteer program for students and professionals and attracts English, Japanese and Thai speaking volunteers from all parts of the world