Community
An Issue of Inequality
Despite rapid global development over the past decades, its benefits have not been evenly shared. The wealth gap remains a major issue, with systemic bottlenecks recreating cycles of poverty. To spur greater economic growth and improve quality of life across the board, it is therefore necessary that education and health resources are made available to all, especially those in lower economic strata.
When a Community Thrives, We Thrive
Knowing that we are only as strong as the communities around us, we work to enhance quality of life in the areas we operate. Focusing on education and wellness, we actively seek opportunities to further our positive impact by building capacity. We act in collaboration with clients, governments, partners, NGOs, and academics, to promote inclusive growth and develop resilient communities.
from words to action
Education
While regional and international forces have made significant progress towards the top Sustainable Development Goal of zero poverty, the recent acceleration of a widening digital divide, worsening climate change, and increasing tension in geopolitics have thrown a wrench in the works. Income inequality continues to grow ever more concerning, with far-reaching implications to society at large.
Narrowing the wealth gap is an inseparable part of our mission to Make a Difference, and we strongly believe that education is key to upward mobility, opening doors to life-changing opportunities. At Esquel, we are dedicated to supporting the communities we operate in through youth empowerment. Working primarily through the Esquel-Y.L. Yang Education Foundation, we have developed a range of programs to promote education and digital empowerment, targeting underprivileged rural communities in China, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam since 2003. The foundation’s vision is to 'Encourage the Spirit of Learning' by providing children with better access to education, learning tools, and incentives, and both broaden and brighten their future horizons.
Well-being
Studies have shown that even though some parts of the world offer free education to children in poverty, their school attendance rates remain low. A key reason for this is the difficulty in accessing healthcare; some children live in deplorable conditions and are often fighting illnesses and physical ailments that leave them no choice but to skip lessons.
For communities to thrive and be sustained through education, the well-being of community members must also be taken care of. Through our charitable foundation, we strive to provide a supportive learning and development environment for rural communities beyond the classroom. For years now, we have been offering vision care and health education to children and their families, and we continue to explore ways we can extend our support to other vulnerable groups in our communities.
Partnerships
Esquel’s growth and development over the years have helped us to be better placed to serve and empower our communities. As the needs of our communities rapidly evolve in a fast-changing world, we believe it is essential that we build mutually beneficial networks with other people and organizations who share our ambitions to Make a Difference.
With that in mind, we are blessed to have established close relationships with governments, academies, businesses, NGOs, schools, villages, and many others. Together, we work to eradicate poverty and facilitate upward social mobility. Combining our shared capabilities, knowledge and vision, we continue to expand and maintain our list of partnership projects that include supporting small agricultural households through microfinancing, partnering with corporates to provide health and environmental education to rural communities, bringing teachers and students from different cultural backgrounds together for service, mutual learning and cultural exchanges, and more. Esquel strives to connect communities and resources to create sustainable partnerships that look to create positive, long-term impacts.
Our work in numbers
