Sawitree Srijinda is a single mother from Buriram province in northeastern Thailand. Her mounting debt forced her to make a difficult decision. She sold her farmland to pay off family debts and moved to Bangkok in 2017 to work as a caregiver. To support her two teenage daughters, she worked long hours, often from morning until late at night. The exhausting routine wore her down, but she had no other option.
In 2020, she discovered a Go Digital ASEAN training program, which introduced her to the idea of starting an online business. It changed everything. If she could earn a living online, she would not have to sacrifice her health. More importantly, she could return home and spend precious time with her family.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, scientist turned entrepreneur Dr. Chan Pick Kuen founded Nature Pick Sdn Bhd in 2018, a company that specializes in mushroom cultivation. While she had strong technical and scientific knowledge, running a business was a different challenge. Sales and marketing proved to be difficult. She put a lot of effort into developing medicinal mushroom products but failed to attract customers. Despite her hard work, public interest remained low.
Sawitree Srijinda, GDA Trainee from Thailand
After looking for new ways to grow her business, she enrolled in Go Digital ASEAN, or GDA, courses on digital marketing. That led her to refine her business strategy, launch new products, and boost her revenues.
In Kien Giang province, located in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, 73-year-old Luu Kim Hoa is known for her energy and optimism. She has spent decades running a small seafood business, mastering the art of selling shrimp and crabs at the local market. As business trends and technology evolved, she knew she must adapt to keep up.
Luu Kim Hoa, GDA trainee from Vietnam
In 2023, she discovered GDA through the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies and eagerly signed up. Now, she is on a mission to keep her business thriving through changing times.
Sawitree, Dr. Chan, and Hoa were among the aspiring and seasoned small business owners who gained the skills to unlock their digital potential through GDA.
About Go Digital ASEAN
Go Digital ASEAN is a regional initiative dedicated to broadening digital skills participation across Southeast Asia. Since its launch in 2020, the program has trained more than 400,000 individuals, 60 percent women, across its two phases. By providing targeted, practical training, GDA has empowered aspiring and established entrepreneurs to navigate the digital landscape more confidently.
Through GDA, micro, small, and medium enterprises, or MSMEs, have improved their understanding and ability to use online tools, deepened their financial knowledge, and enhanced their resilience against cyber threats, enabling them to unlock their digital potential. Endorsed by the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, GDA is implemented by The Asia Foundation, or TAF, with funding from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm.
GDA Phase 2 launched in 2023 with three training segments:
Go Digital: To equip 135,000 underserved MSME owners in Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam with basic digital skills to shift their businesses online
Explore Digital: To train and connect 30,000 MSMEs with regional peers through an ASEAN-wide webinar speaker series
Grow Digital: To equip 35,000 MSMEs in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam with advanced level digital skills to grow their businesses online
With the support of local governments and training partners, TAF completed the second phase of GDA in 2024, reaching more than 215,000 MSMEs across the region. It also equipped both aspiring and seasoned business owners like Sawitree, Dr. Chan, and Hoa with digital knowledge, skills, and confidence, contributing to growth in their communities and local economies.
Applying what she learned from GDA training, Sawitree started selling roses on Facebook. Her efforts paid off when she received a bulk order from Cambodia—proof that an online business could be a real source of income. In 2023, she made a big decision. She quit her job and moved back to her hometown. That same year, she joined the second phase of GDA training and learned about digital payments. Today, she runs a food stand near her home selling drinks and snacks. After learning to market it on Facebook, she doubled her orders, increasing her drink sales by 50 percent. She now enjoys financial freedom and, most importantly, more time with her family.
Spotlight on Go Digital ASEAN Trainees
Applying what she learned from GDA training, Sawitree started selling roses on Facebook. Her efforts paid off when she received a bulk order from Cambodia—proof that an online business could be a real source of income. In 2023, she made a big decision. She quit her job and moved back to her hometown. That same year, she joined the second phase of GDA training and learned about digital payments. Today, she runs a food stand near her home selling drinks and snacks. After learning to market it on Facebook, she doubled her orders, increasing her drink sales by 50 percent. She now enjoys financial freedom and, most importantly, more time with her family.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chan put her GDA training to good use, refining her business strategies and launching innovative products like Candy Delight mushroom candy. She also introduced “lab to farm” cultivation workshops to share her knowledge with others. By strengthening her online presence and building partnerships, she boosted her revenue by 40 percent and expanded her product line with new flavors. Now, she is setting her sights on the dietary supplement market in Australia and Singapore.
Hoa has used her digital skills and newfound confidence to grow her seafood business. She is now more aware of online scams and knows how to protect herself from cyber fraud. To connect with more customers, she joined Zalo and Facebook groups to promote her crab and shrimp shop. Her efforts have paid off. Within a few months, her customer base grew by 40 percent, and her monthly profits increased by 10 million VND (about USD $400).
Go Digital ASEAN’s Impact
Boosting Digital Confidence: 93 percent of trainees said they feel more digitally savvy and have increased confidence in using digital tools for their businesses.
Driving Business Growth:90 percent of trainees said they learned new ways to do things to benefit their business and developed the digital skills needed to grow their business online and/or offline.
Demand for AI Skills: 91 percent of trainees said they applied what they learned from the training and expressed strong interest in learning about online safety and AI tools to future-proof their business.
Go Digital ASEAN is helping small businesses succeed in the digital world by giving them the skills and confidence to keep up with new technology. As the program grows, it will continue working with partners to support businesses in areas like AI, online safety, and other useful digital skills. This will empower local communities and drive long-term growth across the region. Learn more about GDA’s impact here.
Southeast Asia
Economic Growth, Go Digital ASEAN
Media Contact
Our development experts and staff in Asia, the Pacific, and the United States are available for media briefings and speaking engagements.
**For assistance, please contact Strategic Communications:**Eelynn Sim, Director
media@asiafoundation.org