Commitment to betterment
At LEAF, we not only engage the students we take on trips, but also seek to have those students engage the communities they find themselves in. It is only right that we lead by example through committing to the betterment of our partners' work and communities. A substantial portion of every trip's budget is reserved for community development.
Hani student sponsorship
Yunnan, China
For children living in remote villages, educational options can be challenging. Through our local community development partner in the region we are able to help support their scholarship program for minority group students.
Vulnerable-children support
Inner Mongolia, China
Although tragic when children lose their parents, it is encouraging to see family members and friends that rally together to care for the children. Caring for an extra child can be taxing on the caregivers, and so supporting them and the children become an intricate part of the child's success. We are happy to support the work of a local NGO organization that provides regular monthly support.
Book-A-Kid
Jiangsu, China
One of Leaf's core values is to develop life-long learners. One component of this is developing a love for reading. In the early years of community development work in Suzhou there was a realization of the need for quality reading material for migrant students. For the past decade Nathan has been organizing an annual book program where hundreds of books are given away. In the more recent years Leaf has been able to support the work.
Migrant student scholarships
Jiangsu, China
Each student has a unique story and background. Some are filled with joy and opportunity, while another's may be filled with hardship and challenges. For the past 15 years different companies have come together to provide scholarships for students who find themselves in the latter of those two camps. It is the desire and design of the scholarship to help families and encourage students to continue their studies. Leaf has been honored to be a part of this project in recent years.
Willing Hearts
Singapore
Every student that attends the Singapore trip spends one morning serving the larger community by helping to pack meals for those in need. On average our students help to pack around 20,000 meals each trip.
Yoon's Kitchen
Singapore
Along with enjoying the cooking class and excellent food at Yoon's Kitchen, students also broaden their perspectives when they learn of Yoon's amazing vision to help women seeking to put their lives back together. We are proud to partner with this social enterprise as a benefactor of our community betterment program.
Stridy
Singapore
Part of finding the balance between city and nature is taking care of the environment. Together with Stridy, a local Singaporean initiative to clean up trash, students spend a morning learning about the oceans and picking up trash on the beaches.