Corporate citizenship programme fights for healthy learning environment

Last week, the two parties launched their second year of partnership in supporting needy schools in Vietnam’s remote areas. The sponsorship will benefit nearly 600 students at kindergarten and primary school levels in Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, and Dong Nai provinces.

A total wall area of over 3,700 square metres will be painted with low-odour products at schools as part of a three-year joint initiative entitled “Painting for a good cause.” The project has benefited approximately 850 children since 2015.

Four out of the five schools are located in remote areas about 50-60 kilometres away from the centres of Tra Vinh and Hau Giang provinces. In these districts approximately 15-20 per cent of the population earns VND300,000-400,000 ($15-20) per person per month.

Poverty and other challenges to development in these areas prevent many children from studying. Meanwhile, the school in Bien Hoa of Dong Nai province, teaches more than 3,000 students in three shifts a day. All schools require maintenance and safety improvements. By offering sponsorship, BASF and Nippon Paint aim to provide safe, suitable, and hygienic learning conditions for the students.

The initiative is facilitated by Saigon Children’s Charity CIO. Its “School Building and Learning Environments” programme has built more than 350 classrooms and assisted thousands of students from kindergarten up to secondary school levels since it was established in 1992.

“A well-educated young generation is important to BASF, so education is one of the core elements of our corporate citizenship efforts. We work with our partners to provide education to the needy children of Vietnam and develop the leaders of the next generation. The partnership with Nippon Paint underlines our commitment to help improve the quality of life for the neighbouring community,” said Tanachart Ralsiripong, managing director of BASF Vietnam.

Nippon Paint Vietnam has been active in multiple community projects. Since 2014, the company has painted more than 100 houses in need in Ho Chi Minh City in partnership with Galaxy Cinema and YanTV. It has recently launched a TV reality show entitled Happy House on the popular HTV7 channel, attracting a number of celebrities.

BASF Vietnam has partnered up with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training in 2011 to bring Kids’ Lab, an interactive education programme, to 2,500 primary school students. The company also worked with Saigon Children’s Charity CIO to sponsor a school renovation project in Tap Ngai district of Tra Vinh province to help 75 kids go to school and offer full scholarships to eight university students from needy families for their complete four-year courses.