On 19th September 2020, DHL Express partnered with Saigon Children’s Charity (saigonchildren) to deliver 50 bicycles to disadvantaged school students in Tieu Can District, Tra Vinh Province. This project is part of a long-term initiative between DHL Express and saigonchildren to provide youth in Vietnam with better access to education since 2009.
“For the past 12 years, DHL Express has been working with saigonchildren to provide disadvantaged students with bicycles to help them overcome their difficulties in getting to school. The bicycles are a long term and environmentally friendly solution that is in line with DHL’s efforts in creating better opportunities for young people as well as our commitment to the environment,” said Shoeib Reza Choudhury, General Director and Country Manager, DHL Express Vietnam.
“Every bicycle can help increase school attendance, improve grades, and lead to a more secure and comfortable life. Through our partnership with DHL Express, we are continuously working to help disadvantaged children build a brighter future not only for themselves, but also for their families and their communities”, said Damien Roberts, Executive Director, saigonchildren.
The beneficiaries of this project were selected among children who receive scholarship support from the Child Development Scholarship programme of saigonchildren. To date, hundreds of disadvantaged children have benefited from the contributions of DHL Express. For students in rural areas of developing countries, including Vietnam, the biggest barrier to education is oftentimes the ability to get to school. Children might not have access to or the financial means for transportation to schools far from home, or they could turn up late and exhausted after finishing household chores and having to walk a long way to school. These factors could increase the chances of them leaving schools prematurely, while keeping children in schools has been shown to have a positive effect on breaking the cycle of poverty.
In addition to bicycles, saigonchildren’s Child Development Scholarship Programme also provides school fees, textbooks, glasses, uniform fees and rice, depending on the needs of each child and his/her family’s situation. The programme assesses each family’s financial situation, earning ability and individual circumstances to ascertain their suitability to participate. Saigonchildren also encourages parents and relatives to take an active interest in their children’s education, further reducing the chances of them dropping out of school prematurely.