The Maple Trees foundation has the main goal to provide immetarial and material support to local communities living outside of Western Europe. Asia is our main area of focus. Besides this support we also want to create awareness in country of origin, the Netherlands, about the current situation in the areas we provide support.
Immaterial support
This is realized by traveling abroad with groups of volunteers to our project areas. People from the Netherlands are helped & enthused (and when needed financially supported) by the foundation, to travel abroad and meet local people in the areas it works in. The specific aim is to reach local youth, kids and families with kids. During our projects the volunteers also help in local needs by carrying out volunteer work. Some of the activities that we have done together with locals is for example: planting trees, harvesting rice and language projects.
Material support
Besides meeting the people through our projects, we also provide funds. We gather funds which are used to improve the living conditions of local people. We aim at giving among others food aid and support to orphans and the elderly.
Awareness
Since Maple Trees works with volunteers, those are also asked to help in creating awareness. The aim of this is to make people in the Netherlands more aware of the situation in the project areas. By sharing their stories the volunteers create compassion and interest in the projects within their own surrounding. They can share their own experience firsthand with people close to them by among others giving presentations. This helps to mobilize more people to join in future trips as well as in getting more funds.