BASF and partners launch fifth school in remote areas of Vietnam

• Project offers one classroom, one playground and one toilet block to over 90 schoolkids 
• New facilities of Kim Đồng Primary school at Hòa Long B site in Kinh Cùng Township, Phụng Hiệp District built with financial support and materials donated by BASF and partners 
• Fifth school built by BASF and its customers as part of the long-term commitment to Vietnam’s education development

Hau Giang, Vietnam – January 8, 2021 – BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, and other co-sponsors today inaugurated a joint school renovation project in a remote area of Hau Giang province. With a total area of 357 square meters, the project offers one new classroom, one toilet block and one playground, for the Kim Đồng Primary School, at Hòa Long B site, located in Kinh Cùng Township in Phụng Hiệp District. More than 90 students will enjoy new school facilities and an improved learning environment. Facilitated by Saigon Children’s Charity, this project marks the fifth school jointly built by BASF Vietnam and its partners.

The co-sponsors, including MKVN, Tam Trần and Nippon Paint Vietnam, donated cash and materials to renovate the school. For the fifth consecutive year, Nippon Paint Vietnam, a well-known paint and coatings manufacturer, provides low-odor products that meet Green Label Certification, made with BASF ingredients to reduce impact on human health environment. The financial sponsors include MKVN Chemicals, a distributor of care chemicals, nutrition and health, and other functional products, and Tam Trần Company, a company specializing in supplying and selling  basic chemicals for paints, inks, plastic, etc.

“Despite 2020 being a challenging year, BASF is still proud to manage and support this project with our valuable partners in order to help schoolchildren from remote communities get better access to quality education. With this fifth school, we want to help nurture Vietnam’s next generation and demonstrate our commitment to supporting Vietnam’s sustainable development,” said Erick Contreras, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam.

Before the renovation, the schoolchildren attended their classes in rundown facilities built in 1996 with basic structures and materials, therefore negatively affecting the teachers’ and students’ health and safety. During the renovation period, one class of students had to switch to a temporary classroom in a local resident’s house. The new facilities will give them a safer and more comfortable place to learn and develop various skills through play.

Located over 270km away from Ho Chi Minh City, Phung Hiep is one of the poorest districts in a province where 11% 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, benefiting 140 students at Long Thanh 3 Primary School and Tan Long Kindergarten.

BASF Vietnam has been active in multiple community projects, including the partnership with Saigon Children’s Charity to renovate schools. Moreover, BASF has also provided scholarships to disadvantaged university students for their four years of studies and held its interactive education program BASF Kids’ Lab for 5,000 primary school students since 2011. Additionally, BASF constructed four public playgrounds accessible to more than 12,000 children to promote a sense of exploration, inspire creativity and develop different skills among children.

* 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

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 117,000 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 €59 billion in 2019. 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.