Building a Brighter Future: An Interview with Kids Promise Founders

Founded just six years ago, Kids Promise is celebrating its impact on the lives of hundreds of children across Vietnam. Through home building, school supply donations and life-changing scholarships, children have gained stability and safety that enable them to pursue an education and break the cycle of poverty.

Here’s what one child had to say, whose family received a Kids Promise Charity House:

“For the past 3 years, I am very grateful to the Kids Promise organization for sponsoring my family to have a spacious house so that I can confidently continue my studying. Since we have a house, our family has less difficulties than before; I and my brother also have peace of mind to study. I am currently a final year student and about to finish my studying, and my younger brother is in his freshman year of college. To get where I am now is thanks to the help of the organization and the great efforts of my family. And I am very grateful for that. That is the motivation for us to strive to learn and develop in the future.”

“Our whole purpose is to create lasting solutions to problems confronting kids living in poverty,” said Tom Schoen, co-founder and president of Kids Promise. “That starts with safe and dry housing and continues with a good education. Housing and education are the two things we focus on to give kids a path and a shot at a brighter future.”

Last year, 21 students received Kids Promise educational scholarships and 30 are planned for this year. Past recipients have had life-changing results – watch the video below to hear from them.

Kids Promise was founded by three colleagues at BTM Global: Andy Huynh, Tom Schoen and Mark Hooley. Today, Vietnam efforts on the ground are led by BTM’s director of Vietnam operations, Tien Huynh. All four individuals volunteer their time to Kids Promise, and all of the organization’s work is carried out by volunteers – many of whom are BTM Global employees and their family or friends.

Building Homes, Changing Lives

One of the most visible impacts of Kids Promise are the 40 Charity Homes.

“It was Tien’s idea to start building homes,” recalled Tom. “Many of the areas where we build are where our employees grew up, so as volunteers, they have a connection to the area. Overall, a lot of our work is focused in rural areas where there’s less access to charity or government services.”

Kids Promise volunteers work with local governments to identify families in need of a home. The land is typically owned by the family and the community donates basic furniture.

“The volunteers select the family, coordinate with the local government, and hire the contractors to design and build the house, “ said Andy. “It takes about three months and $3,000 USD to build a home. We really have it down to a science.”

Making Every Donation Count

Thanks to the massive work of volunteers in Vietnam and the U.S., Kids Promise guarantees that 100% of every donation goes directly to a home, school supplies, or scholarships. Donors are typically individuals and businesses, along with matching donations from some donors’ employers. The founders personally cover overhead costs.

Both Tom and Andy would like to see the organization expand its reach in all areas. Five more homes are planned for 2023, along with home repairs, a school drive, and scholarships.

“Looking to the future, our goals include expanding fundraising,” said Andy. “We want to build more awareness and attract new donors while taking direction from the volunteers on the ground.”

“We’re looking closely at how we want to grow,” added Tom. “It’s about building an infrastructure while engaging more donors and volunteers – all to serve more kids.”