Hau Giang, Vietnam – October 6, 2020 – Saigon Children’s Charity and partners today broke ground on a school renovation project, for a primary school in Hậu Giang Province. The project will offer one new classroom, one toilet block and one playground, with a total area of 357 square meters for the Kim Đồng Primary School, at Hòa Long B site, located in Kinh Cùng Township in Phụng Hiệp District. Facilitated by Saigon Children’s Charity CIO, the project receives cash sponsorship from BASF, HP, Ms. Tsanh My Linh, MKVN, Tam Tran, and the local authority, as well as material sponsorship from PEB and Nippon Paint Vietnam. Over 90 schoolchildren will enjoy a cleaner, safer and a more comfortable learning environment when the project completes in early 2021.
The Hòa Long B satellite site of the school currently has four classrooms, three of which are for primary classes and one for kindergarten level. The classrooms were built in 1996 with basic structures and materials and for almost 25 years, the classrooms’ structures have been deteriorating. The condition gets even worse during the rainy season since the rusted corrugated iron roof leaks and creates nuisance noise negatively affecting the learning environment.
Students learning at a temporary classroom in a local resident house – the new facility will give them better access to education
At the groundbreaking ceremony, a total of 300 pairs of shoes, made by Khoan Nghị, a manufacturer of shoes and slippers, were presented to all students from different sites of the Kim Dong Primary School. The shoes made with BASF materials enhance the comfort and safety of children and adults.
“BASF continuously supports local communities through a variety of programs, including this school renovation to provide a healthy learning environment for schoolchildren. This initiative has also inspired our partners to jointly support the common cause of supporting remote communities get better access to quality education. With this project, we are also thrilled to celebrate the fifth school we have renovated with our partners, showing our long-term commitment to support Vietnam’s sustainable development,” said Erick Contreras, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam.
Located over 270km away from Ho Chi Minh City, Phung Hiep is one of the poorest districts in a province where 11% of the total number of households are classified as poor*. A study conducted by the Ministry of Education & Training showed that less than 50% of primary schools in Hau Giang were built with proper concrete structures**. Without stable foundations and a safe environment for learning, students’ safety is at risk. In 2017, BASF and its partners renovated two schools in the district, benefitting 140 students at Long Thanh 3 Primary School and Tan Long Kindergarten.
* Source: http://baohaugiang.com.vn/xa-hoi/huyen-phung-hiep-giam-3-43-ho-ngheo-75290.html
** Source: https://www.ungm.org/UNUser/Documents/DownloadPublicDocument?docId=339570