Alstom’s Green Communities project aids Mekong Delta

The year-long joint programme was undertaken by the Alstom Foundation, Save the Children and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in October 2012 with the goal of improving sanitation and ensuring sustainability in communities living within the Mekong Delta. 

During the project, the Alstom Foundation supported schools and rural communities to complete the construction of eight safe water systems and 16 latrines, and to promote public awareness of the importance of water sanitation, water protection  and waste disposal measures.

In addition, the creation of the Green Communities – a group comprised of highly empowered and motivated youth leaders from the region took on the challenge of educating the communities. Their tenacity and dedication in spreading the message on the urgency of ensuring environmental sustainability convinced their community leaders to devote more attention to the issues.

Nearly a year has passed since the programme started and the foundation has expressed its confidence that the practices initiated will ensure long-run sustainability.

According to Henri Noirhomme, country president of Alstom Vietnam, support from the area’s young people for the Green Community project would be vital to its long-term success.

“We’re delighted with the level of support given by the community leaders and the exuberance displayed by the youths in the movement. We would like to thank our partners, Save the Children and the youth unions of Can Tho and Tien Giang, for the support and commitment shown throughout the duration of the project,” said Noirhomme.

He added that although the project had ended, the company would continue to identify potential areas to aid Vietnam’s development.

Surveys revealed that only few families had access to clean water while over 1,000 children residing around the areas of Can Tho and Tien Giang lacked access to clean water.

These communities, especially their children, continued to be exposed to latrines that were a risk to their health and the environment.

The Alstom Foundation represents Alstom’s commitment to improving living conditions in communities surrounding its sites worldwide.