CapitaLand to build third CapitaLand Hope School in Vietnam

Lim Ming Yan, president & group CEO of CapitaLand made the announcement during his meeting with Hoang Trung Hai, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee and member of the Politburo.

During the visit, Lim updated Hoang on CapitaLand’s strong growth in Vietnam and expressed the group’s long term commitment to the country. As one of the leading foreign developers in Vietnam, CapitaLand has established a presence in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Haiphong, Danang, Binh Duong and Nha Trang – in the residential and serviced residence sectors.

On his part, Hoang highlighted the country’s robust economic and population growth which are driving demand for infrastructure, as well as the introduction of conducive policy measures, which will augur well for real estate development and investment in Vietnam. The success of a reputable international company like CapitaLand in the capital, Hoang added, will act as a catalyst to attract more investment into the country.

Lim then announced CapitaLand’s plan to build the third Hope School in northern Vietnam, adding to a total of 27 schools across Asia.

“We are committed to Vietnam for the long term, so as we grow our business here, we want to continue giving back to the community,” said Lim, who is also director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), the group’s philanthropic arm. “These efforts are part of CapitaLand’s on-going commitment to building communities in countries where we operate.”

CapitaLand currently has two CapitaLand Hope Schools in Vietnam – the CapitaLand Nang Yen Primary Hope School in Phu Tho province, and the CapitaLand Thanh Phuoc A Primary Hope School in Long An province.

CapitaLand organises international volunteer expeditions every year to projects that CHF supports, for employees all over the world to participate in activities that contribute to the well-being of children in rural communities. On March 5, over 50 CapitaLand staff volunteers and senior management embarked on a five-day volunteer expedition to CapitaLand Nang Yen Primary Hope School located in Phu Tho province, one of the most impoverished provinces in Vietnam.

The school provides close to 200 pupils from surrounding villages with education from Grade 1 to 5, equivalent to that offered by primary schools in Singapore. CapitaLand staff volunteers helped build more toilets and sheltered walkways to cater to the growing pupil population, cemented damaged walls, and refurbished the library with more shelves, which were filled with books gathered from the local community through a book donation drive organised by CapitaLand staff in Vietnam. A series of educational activities, including sports sessions, art and craft workshops, and CapitaLand’s signature Little Architect Programme, were also organised for the pupils.

The CapitaLand Nang Yen Primary Hope School was originally built in 1975, and classes were previously conducted out of makeshift classrooms made from clay and leaves. In 2011, CHF donated VND2.2 billion ($100,000) to fund the construction of new school buildings and facilities, including a two-storey block with 10 classrooms, a library-cum-reading room, and upgraded equipment for outdoor activities.

CapitaLand organised an expedition to the school in 2011 to put the finishing touches to the refurbished school and to welcome the children from the surrounding villages into their new learning environment. Since then, local staff have regularly visited the school to better understand the needs of the students and the community.

Since 2004, CHF has been committed to building new school facilities and enhancing existing ones to create conducive learning environments for children in rural communities. To date, over 13,000 children have benefited from the 27 CapitaLand Hope Schools that CHF has helped build across Vietnam and China.