INTERNATIONALLY • Global Development • Youth Employment and Livelihoods
Southeast Asia Economic Wellbeing Fund
Providing flexible funding and capacity-building support to local organisations working to improve youth employability.
Youth — the period of transition from childhood to adulthood — is a pivotal phase in one’s life. Not only is this a time where young people pick up the skills, knowledge, and experiences that will prepare them for their future, but it is also a time when they will be making decisions that can have far-reaching impacts on their own lives and the world around them.
However, youth in Southeast Asia often face systemic barriers that limit their access to education, skills training, and economic opportunities. The region's rapidly evolving job market demands a diverse range of skills that many young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, lack. More needs to be done to unlock the untapped potential of these young people, so that they may find work and be empowered to uplift themselves, their families, and their communities.
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Quantedge Advancement Initiative is supporting EMpower Foundation’s “Southeast Asia Economic Wellbeing Fund”, which channels resources to local organisations in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, with the aim of reducing youth unemployment in the region.
The Fund provides partially unrestricted grant support to grantee partners over a 10-year period, journeying with them in the long-term to build their capacity and organisational strength. In addition to mobilising philanthropic capital that helps grantee partners scale up their reach and deepen impact, EMpower also provides for capacity-building in the following areas:
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Programme implementation
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Monitoring and evaluation processes
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Organisational strategy
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Financial sustainability
Currently, the Fund supports eight local partners, including:
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BagoSphere (Philippines): It aims to develop the next generation of talent by equipping youth with business and digital skills to ensure they can secure decent employment in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), which has been recognised as a growing sector with high demand for workers.
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Kidspire (Vietnam): It equips youth living in institutional care with digital skills so that they can further their education and pursue employment after leaving care. Its “Technovation” programme focuses on creating equal opportunities for girls and young women to thrive in STEM and future STEM-related careers.
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​​​EMpower’s support enables its grantee partners to reach young people in remote rural areas that are often overlooked. It firmly believes that when young people feel empowered, they have the potential to change the world. Through this Fund, we hope to play a part in creating a substantial impact on the life trajectories of youth from underserved communities across Southeast Asia.