Stereotypical expectations of western retirees run counter to the goals and actions of the participants in this study. Dissatisfied at conditions available to them in their home countries, they escaped to Cambodia, Myanmar or Laos. There, they created new roles for themselves, advancing the wellbeing of disadvantaged local people. They set up grassroots ventures to upskill, house, educate and employ individuals otherwise bypassed for such opportunities. Fieldwork for this research took place in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos in 2015, 2016 and 2019. Twenty projects were visited, including eco-tour guiding, food production, hospitality, and artisanal enterprises. For the operators, the emphasis is responsible, small-scale development, foregrounding a social justice agenda, to engage deprived members of the population. Through these micro aid initiatives local people, marginalised and disempowered because of disability, sex abuse, HIV Aids, and poverty, develop skills for employment. These runaway retirees are making a significant contribution in their new locations.