Testimonials

Innovation isn’t exclusive to Silicon Valley. I recently joined Thomas Trüb and The Dariu Foundation to witness their work in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The foundation’s evolution from basic literacy to advanced tech education is impressive. Seeing a twelve year old explain how coding could help her improve the lives in her community and watching as a classroom erupts in celebration at the success of getting their first-ever robot to move, I now understand the determination of this next generation. Thank you for this profound insight into the determination of the next generation.

The success of Vietnam’s Industrial Revolution 4.0 will depend on the quality of its youth’s education — from STEM and vocational training to social and problem-solving skills.

At the Annual National Tech Camp 2025 near Can Tho in the Mekong Delta, my spouse Nathalie Gass-Lussi and I witnessed how The Dariu Foundation and its partners build these skills among young people. We saw boys and girls building robots, coding, flying drones, and solving real-life challenges, guided by trained teachers coached by the Dariu team. Their excitement and curiosity reminded us why supporting education initiatives matters so deeply.

It was also inspiring to see Swiss company ABB engage with its robotics team, introducing young learners to collaborative robots and programming — making advanced technology both accessible and exciting.

Congratulations to The Dariu Foundation and its partners ABB, Brot für die Welt, UEH Mekong Campus, and the Vinh Long Province Department of Education for nurturing Vietnam’s next generation of innovators.

We all know what traditional literacy means: the ability to read and write. But in today’s digital world, being literate isn’t enough anymore. Teaching kids digital literacy skills is very important, they need to be able to understand the technology so they can use it safely and effectively. This is where The Dariu Foundation comes in with its Digital Literacy Initiative, where the help socially disadvantaged children to improve their chances through digital education

As a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dariu Foundation, I am very pleased to be able to combine two of my heartfelt themes – the promotion of children and digital literacy – with this commitment. The knowledge and education of children is essential for our society and our future. Since its establishment in 2002, the Dariu Foundation has made a significant contribution to the self-determined lives of people in rural areas of Vietnam, India and Myanmar.

Despite the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brought along with it, The Dariu Foundation continued to provide training for hundreds of teachers and thousands of students through online and offline classes for the Digital Literacy Skills program. Dariu’s accomplishments are testament to the organization’s forward-thinking leadership and agility and the relevance of the role that technology plays in education.

Dariu is a global role model for longterm thinking, doing the right thing paired with strong execution. Dariu makes a difference. A very big one even.