A class at the Sao Mai Kindergarten in Dak Lak Province’s Cu Ni Commune, which was built under the Cargill’s school building programme. — VNS Photo
Cargill last week opened Sao Mai Kindergarten in Dak Lak Province’s Cu Ni Commune, its 83rd school in Viet Nam under its school building programme to support students in rural areas in the country.
In mid-September, it opened Tran Quoc Toan Primary school in Dak Nong Province.
Both schools are located in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam, where most people earn their living in coffee, cocoa, pepper and rubber farms and school infrastructure there is far from adequate to meet the educational needs of the kids.
To respond to those immediate needs, Cargill, through the Cargill Cares fund, has decided to make financial, time and resource investments to build two new schools in this area at a total cost of VNĐ2.5 billion (US$110,132).
Each new school comprises four classrooms, restrooms, a fence and a school yard. Altogether, the schools are now serving more than 400 full-time students so that they can learn better and be safer, even during rainy days.
Cargill plans to open another four schools to reach its 87-school target by the end of May 2018 and is on track to build 100 schools in the country by 2020.
As part of the Cargill Cares Council that is completely employee-led, Cargill’s school building programme aims at providing students access to quality education in a safe and conducive environment.
Funds come from Cargill customers, partners and employees. Since 1997, around $5 million has been raised to build schools that now provide quality education to more than 13,000 students across 46 provinces nationwide. — VNS