BASF partners up with customers to rebuild school in remote area in Hau Giang

Co-sponsors including BASF, HP, Khoan Nghi, MKVN, Nippon Paint, Tam Tran, and local authorities breaking ground on the new school facilities

The project will offer one new classroom, one toilet block, and one playground, with a total area of 357 square metres for the Kim Dong Primary School at Hoa Long B site, located in Kinh Cung township in Phung Hiep district.

Facilitated by Saigon Children's Charity CIO, the construction project will be completed in 2021. Over 90 schoolchildren will enjoy a cleaner, safer, and a more comfortable learning environment after completion of this fifth school project by BASF Vietnam, in close coordination with its partners.

The group photo of co-sponsors

“BASF continuously supports local communities through a variety of programmes, 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 of BASF Vietnam.

Schoolkids were excited to receive gifts from the sponsors, including shoes donated by Khoan Nghi and made with BASF materials

The financial sponsors include MKVN Chemicals, a distributor of care chemicals, nutrition and health, and other functional products, and Tam Tran Company, a company specialising in supplying and making consignment sales of basic chemicals for paints, inks, and plastic, among others.The co-sponsors are donating cash and materials to renovate the school. For the fifth consecutive year, Nippon Paint Vietnam, a well-known paint and coatings manufacturer, is providing low odour products that meet Green Label Certification, made with BASF ingredients to reduce impact on human health and environment.

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 Kim Dong Primary School. The shoes made with BASF materials enhance the comfort and safety of children and adults.

Students learning at a temporary classroom in a local home – the new facility will give them better access to education

The one-classroom block will be renovated to a safer, more comfortable one for the schoolkids

The Hoa 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, creating noise and negatively affecting the learning environment.

Located over 270km away from Ho Chi Minh City, Phung Hiep is one of the poorest districts in a province where 11 per cent of households are classified as poor. A study conducted by the Ministry of Education and Training showed that less than 50 per cent 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.

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 programme 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.