On March 14, 2008, representatives of SCC and Abbott Laboratories S.A were glad to open a new kindergarten in Tien Giang Province. The kindergarten was built by Saigon Children’s Charity (SCC) with funding of US$ 13,240 from by Abbott Laboratories S.A and financial contribution from SCC’s partner – Tien Giang Education and Training Department.

In April 2007, Abbott Laboratories S.A approved the sponsoring of a new schoolbuilding for Tan Binh Thanh Kindergarten, in Cho Gao District, Tien Giang Province. The construction work started in August and in December, the whole work was completed well! The three new classrooms serve totally 70 children each year. This is the only kindergarten in the commune. Understanding the importance of preschool education, which can not only help stimulate the infant brain but also release mothers from home for working, before the sponsorship was taken in place, Tan Binh Thanh Kindergarten had borrowed five classrooms from a neighbouring primary school to provide education for 144 children at ages 4 – 5. To continue providing enough place for teaching all early aged children in the commune, our partner, Tien Giang Authority has had plan to build two more classrooms for this kindergarten. Tien Giang is also responsible for all running cost of the kindergarten.

	Mr Paul Finnis, Director of Saigon Children's Charity presenting the Certificate of Appreciation to Mr Le Phuoc Loc, Representative of Abbott Laboratories S.A.

A delegation of Abbott Laboratories, Mr Le Phuoc Loc, Representative of Abbott Laboratories S.A, traveled to Tien Giang together with representatives of SCC for the opening ceremony. The ceremony was attended by representatives from local and provincial government, prestigious media agencies, as well as teachers and children with their parents, totally around 100 people. We were really impressed by children’s performance at the beginning of the ceremony. We all therefore hope the new kindergarten will be a new home for children at Tan Binh Thanh commune to come and receive proper education to reach their full potential.

This is the second school building project built on the partnership between SCC and Abbott Laboratories S.A. In 2006, Abbott Laboratories S.A provided funding for the building of two classrooms in a poor commune in Dinh Quan District, Dong Nai Province. SCC as well as community and its children recognise this kind and practical support as “Turning science into caring”, which is said at Abbott Laboratories S.A. Since working with SCC through School Building Programme, Abbott Laboratories S.A has helped 156 children getting better educational environment. Abbott Laboratories S.A would also like to share ambition of working with SCC in long term basis to help disadvantaged children in Southern Vietnam have a brighter future through education and this would be “a promise for life” that Abbott Laboratories S.A also talks about.
Through School Building Programme, the new sponsored classrooms of Tan Binh Thanh Kindergarten are the 24th classroom that SCC has built during 8 years working in Tien Giang Province. SCC has also provided scholarships to 583 children in this province.

The new kindergarten, once again, are a very good example for the great co-operation between SCC and Tien Giang Authorities and partners. Any of SCC’s projects can not be carried out successfully without the great co-operation of its partners. SCC therefore plans to focus more its works in Tien Giang from 2009.