SIFE: Students in Free Enterprise

A team of students at Asian University have just returned from a training session with SIFE in Bangkok. Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is a global non-profit organization active in more than 40 countries. It is funded by financial contributions from corporations, entrepreneurs, foundations, government agencies and individuals. Working in partnership with business and higher education, SIFE establishes student teams on university campuses. The team members use their skills and knowledge, and that of their faculty advisors and local businesses, to implement programmes of real benefit to their local communities.

Each year, national and international competitions are held between SIFE participants.

There are several other Thai Universities taking part in SIFE projects, including the larger Chulalongkorn, Thammasat and Mahidol Universities.

This weekend a group of Asian University students visited a local village where charcoal is produced, to find if there are ways that they could help improve the production or the conditions for the workers. Most of the charcoal is produced from waste from furniture makers, and after 7 – 10 days in the “ovens” the charcoal is sifted and bagged. The familiar blue bags of charcoal are sold locally to restaurants and shops, and transported as far away as Chachoengsao and Bangna. The area where the charcoal is burnt used to be forest, and the industry grew when the saw-mills were first established about forty years ago. Now the villages have grown and surround the charcoal burning. The students are now considering if there are any ways that they can help the villagers using their contacts and resources.

Photos show the Asian U students meeting the local government administrator and at the village meeting, gathering information about charcoal production.