Empower Asia

Welcome

CHECK OUT OUR WORLD FAMOUS CHILD SPONSORSHIP PAGE AND SEE HOW YOU CAN PLAY A ROLE IN CHANGING THE LIVES OF BURMESE KIDS!

They think the camera is cool...wait till they find out that they are on the front page of a website! Yangon, 2011.

Want to catch up on the latest? Then go to our GALLERY page. To check out about the gentle nature of Thai crocodiles, our progress in setting up in the south of Thailand and our Shan house construction project then click here to go to our NEWS page.

By now you must have already checked out our latest high-production presentation called Padi, Pigs and Poohs right? This has received rave reviews.

Empower Asia is the key project of Empower International Trust which is a New Zealand government registered charity.

Our aim is to establish a network of indigenous operated leadership development homes for impoverished teenagers so that in time these educated young people will move out as adults to become change-agents within their own communities.

Empower Asia is a Christian based organisation which is not affiliated to any particular group, church or denomination.

Empower Asia was originally the vision of a New Zealand couple who moved to Thailand in 1990 and commenced working amongst pre- teenage boys who were working for a gang that pimped them out as prostitutes to foreign male sex tourists in Patpong, Bangkok.

Over a period of four years they planted two homes in Thailand. Following this they were invited to develop homes to teenagers in other countries.

At present we have twelve homes spanning four nations: two homes each in Thailand and Cambodia with three in Nepal and four in Burma.

We care full time for about one hundred and fifty young people aged from about 14 years up. Additionally, we care for another thirty young people who are attending university, trade training colleges or other studies.

We work with young people from a broad range of religious and cultural backgrounds. Most of our children come from difficult and somewhat dysfunctional family backgrounds.

Some of our girls’ mentoring homes aim to take in girls who we believe display the social parameters of being at-risk to being sold or tricked into prostitution or other forms of abuse.

Empower Asia is not dependent on western personnel. Instead we have a very strong emphasis on empowering local indigenous leaders of good reputation and standing within their communities to “own” our various projects. This is why we have expanded so effectively.