BASF and partners create safer and more eco-friendly learning environment at kindergarten in Đồng Nai, Vietnam

• New facility built with financial support and materials donated by BASF and 10 partners from Vietnam and Thailand
• School constructed with BASF’s waterproofing solutions, Nippon’s low odor paint and insulation roof panels from Phuong Nam
• Approximately 70 students will benefit each school year

Đồng Nai, Vietnam – September 30, 2019 – Around 70 students from a kindergarten in a remote area of Đồng Nai Province can now enjoy a safer and improved learning environment, thanks to the joint project co-sponsored by BASF and its 10 customers and partners from Vietnam and Thailand. In celebration of 25 years of operations in Vietnam, BASF today inaugurated two new classrooms with a total area of over 170 square meters that were built for the Sông Ray kindergarten, located in a remote area of Cẩm Mỹ District.

Before the renovation, 70 schoolchildren aged two and three attended their classes in temporary facilities that were built six years ago with all-metal walls and ceilings, an uncomfortable environment during high temperatures and in rainy weather. Facilitated by Saigon Children’s Charity CIO, the project now offers them brand new classrooms, including hygiene amenities and a storeroom, built with environmentally friendly materials, therefore improving learning conditions and atmosphere.

A total of approximately VND1 billion (about $43,000), in both money and materials to renovate the school, was donated by BASF, customers and partners in Vietnam and Thailand.

The co-sponsors from Vietnam include:

• Sam Chem Sphere, a distributor of industrial chemicals, industrial lubricants, fleet lubricants and waterproofing materials;
• MKVN Chemicals, a company active in distributing care chemicals, nutrition and health, and other functional products;
• Eason Urai Paint, a subsidiary of Eason Group in Thailand, manufacturing and distributing motorcycle coatings and other industrial paints.

The project is also supported by donors from Thailand including:

• The Sun Chemical, an importer and logistics service provider of a broad chemical portfolio for  cosmetics & toiletries, pharmaceutical, detergent, household, industrial & institutional, rubber, textile and food businesses
• Unique Coating Chemicals, a distributor of performance additives, polymer dispersions & pigments for coatings and printing inks, and resins for coatings
• VITA, an affiliated company of VIV Group, distributing a comprehensive range of ingredients and providing solutions for nutrition and health in the animal feed, food and pharmaceutical industries
• BAKA, an importer and distributor of agricultural products
• Sahaikaset Agrochemicals, an importer, exporter, and distributor of chemicals, fertilizers, and agricultural products

Along with funding for the renovation, BASF donated its Master Builders Solutions® waterproofing products to help the building resist rain. The roof panels were donated by Phuong Nam Insulation, a supplier of high-quality insulation roof panels, to keep the school free from heat and noise issues. Nippon Paint Vietnam also donated low odor products made with BASF ingredients that reduce impact on health and the environment. The new facility will now offer children better learning opportunities as well as improved hygiene and safety conditions.

Erick Contreras, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam, said, “Vietnam is an important market for BASF and we are committed to long term investments focused on sustainability. This year marks our 25th anniversary in Vietnam and we want to celebrate it with something that could make an impact on the community. By providing a healthy learning environment for local children, we can ensure that they have better access to education and increase their chance for a successful future in both career and life. This contributes to our multiple efforts to support the development of Vietnam’s education.”

Petrus Ng, Managing Director, BASF Thailand and Indochina, added, “BASF has a long history of creating chemistry for a sustainable future. We do this in many ways, for example, offering products and solutions to help address sustainability challenges and improve quality of life, or providing support to those people who need it the most. This project underlines our commitment to make the neighborhood a better place to live. Moreover, I am very pleased that this initiative also inspires our customers from both countries to join hands and make a difference to the local kids.”

Đồng Nai is one of Vietnam’s manufacturing hubs, with a diverse number of industrial parks. Nevertheless, many areas are still left behind due to the lack of investment in the remote locations, impacting development in both economy and education. In the Sông Ray commune, 5% of the population is classified as poor, with an average income of less than VND700,000 per person (equivalent to $30) each month, with income in the remaining population at not more than VND4 million per person (around $200) each month.¹

BASF Vietnam has been active in multiple community projects including the partnership with Saigon Children’s Charity to renovate four schools by offering enhanced facilities and improving hygiene and safety conditions. Moreover, BASF has provided scholarships to disadvantaged university students for their four years of studies and held its interactive education program BASF Kids’ Lab on an annual basis for 4,000 primary school students. The company also works with Nippon Paint to offer paint sponsorship to redecorate schools in Mekong Delta. In 2019, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, BASF offered four public playgrounds to more than 12,000 children to promote a sense of exploration, inspire creativity and develop different skills among children.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

About Saigon Children’s Charity CIO

Saigon Children's Charity CIO (saigonchildren) was founded in 1992 to help disadvantaged children in Vietnam to escape from the cycle of poverty by giving them an education and a fair start in life.

saigonchildren takes simple, practical steps to ensure that the children most in need get an education. We build schools and provide scholarships, as well as targeted extra help and vocational training. We work in District 4 of Ho Chi Minh City and the rural fringes such as Can Gio and Cu Chi. In addition, we work in rural provinces close to HCMC such as Dong Nai and Tay Ninh, several provinces of the Mekong Delta (Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Ca Mau, Soc Trang, An Giang) and have also built classrooms in Quang Tri, Phu Tho, Ninh Binh and Tuyen Quang Provinces.

With more than 25 years of experience, saigonchildren has now built and renovated more than 534 classrooms and has supported more than 41,000 children and young people with scholarships and vocational training.

A board of independent trustees is accountable for the work of the organisation and saigonchildren publishes audited accounts annually with grateful thanks to KPMG. We aim always to be a high quality organisation, which is both transparent and fully accountable.

To find out more about saigonchildren, please visit www.saigonchildren.com, call us on (84 8) 3930 3502 or email us at info@saigonchildren.com.

¹ Source: Statistics Year Book 2016