Fondation Rolf Schnyder

Fondation Rolf Schnyder was established in 2012 to honor the wish of the late Rolf W. Schnyder — to help those in need, “with priority to children, the future of our world.” Rolf had acquired the historic Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin in 1983, when the company was in difficulty, and successfully revived and reinvented it. The Foundation was originally registered under Swiss law as Fondation Rolf Schnyder – Ulysse Nardin, adopting its current name in 2014. His wife, Chai Schnyder, has carried his vision forward ever since.

Education has been the throughline of our work since 2012, spanning eight countries, with a keen focus on Southeast Asia and stateless children. That work has shaped healthcare infrastructure, school access, economic empowerment, child protection, and support for children with disabilities — providing educational, medical, nutritional, and other assistance to tens of thousands of marginalized children and their families.

One of the newest of those needs is digital literacy — now a crucial skill for most future jobs. As computational thinking and AI reshape nearly every field a child might grow into, early digital literacy gives marginalized children a genuine chance at the opportunities ahead. This is the present chapter of Fondation Rolf Schnyder’s work, especially for children who would otherwise be left out of the digital economy.

As a certified CodeAI Professional Learning Partner, we help embed computer science in public education — in partnership with governments and universities, using platforms like Scratch, and in alignment with Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) standards.

All of it traces back to one person’s conviction. Our founder, Datin Chai Schnyder — who holds an MSc in Manufacturing Engineering — chaired the company Rolf had rebuilt for three years after he passed, while also founding this work in 2012. She built it on a simple belief: “Let’s help as many people as possible get educated, to help them understand there is a future for them too.” That belief still guides our mission today.