BASF and partners build seventh school in remote area of Vietnam
- New facility located in Hieu Tu C primary school, Tieu Can district, Tra Vinh province
- Two new classrooms and one playground to benefit around 100 students each year
- BASF and key partners have renovated seven schools since 2015 to support Vietnam’s education development
Tra Vinh, Vietnam – April 19, 2023 - BASF and co-sponsors broke ground for the school building project at Hieu Tu C primary school, Tieu Can district, Tra Vinh province*, a remote area of Vietnam. The two new classrooms and one playground with a total area of 328m2 will be built to enhance the educational experience of teachers and students alike. The seventh project, with the facilitation of Saigon Children’s Charity CIO as part of its ‘School Building’ program, will benefit almost 100 students each year, upon its target completion in Quarter 4, 2023.
Erick Contreras, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam, says: “At BASF, we support the UN's sustainable development goal of providing quality education to the community. Therefore, offering the next generation the best start in life with safer and more comfortable facilities is one of our social engagement priorities in Vietnam. It is even more meaningful when we drive this long-term program with our key customers and business partners to jointly support the country’s future talents.”
About 130 km away from HCMC, Hieu Tu C Primary School is located in a remote area with a large population of ethnic Khmer and Chinese. The school has one main site and three satellite sites. The renovation project will take place at O Trao satellite site, built in 2009 and currently in poor safety and hygiene conditions. The roof of the new facility will use sandwich panels Procy meeting EU standards sponsored by Phuong Nam Panel. The school will be decorated with products meeting Green Label Certification sponsored by Nippon Paint Việt Nam. These products, made from sustainable raw materials provided by BASF, will help deliver long-term benefits for the school environment with health, safety, and energy efficiency.
Other financial co-sponsors include:
- MKVN Chemicals, a company active in distributing personal care and home care chemicals, and other functional products
- Sam Chem Sphere, a distributor of industrial chemicals, industrial lubricants, fleet lubricants and waterproofing materials
- Tam Tran Co. a distributor of basic chemicals for paints, inks and plastics
- Viet Duc Lubricants & Chemicals, a distributor of lubricants and chemicals
- Other donors
BASF Vietnam has also engaged in several long-term community projects with a focus on educational development. BASF Kids’ Lab, in partnership with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education & Training, offers on-site activities to help children learn about chemistry, benefiting around 5,000 primary students since 2011. Virtual Lab is an online platform that offers children a variety of interactive experiments through 12 games in Vietnamese language. Since 2019, BASF Vietnam has partnered with Think Playgrounds in building six public playgrounds, helping approximately 13,000 children learn through play.
(*) Tra Vinh is a province in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. Tra Vinh is populated with many residents of the Khmer ethnic group, 31% of the population. Average income per capita per month of the poor households is below VND 615,000 (US$ 27). (source)
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 111,481 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €87.3 billion in 2022. 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.
BASF has been active in Vietnam since the establishment of its representative office in 1994. BASF Vietnam Limited was locally incorporated in 2009. The company maintains two sales offices in Hồ Chí Minh City and Hà Nội, offering solutions for Vietnam’s key industries, including agriculture, construction, automotive, footwear, coatings, and electronics. BASF Vietnam’s sales was approximately €405 million in 2022. BASF employed 108 people in Vietnam as of the year end. Further information of BASF Vietnam is available at www.basf.com/vn.
About Saigon Children’s Charity CIO
Saigon Children’s Charity CIO (or saigonchildren) is a non-profit organisation registered in the UK since 1992, operating solely in Vietnam in the field of education, with the mission of removing barriers to education for disadvantaged children. Saigonchildren focuses on four core programmes: School Building and Learning Environment; Child Development Scholarship; Getting Ready for Work; and Special Needs Education. Saigonchildren' annual financial statements are published on the UK Charity Commission's website, and its own website at www.saigonchildren.com.
