Viettel and the Ministry of Education and Training sign an agreement to launch the "For Studious Student" scholarship programme to encourage poor students in the study. — VNS File Photo

Under the programme, carrying the theme "for studious students" and the message "small wishes need good deeds," the military-run telecommunications company will fund scholarships worth more than VND260 billion (US$12.3 million).

The programme will prioritise students from 2,331 disadvantaged communes and 311 coastal poor communes. Each student will be offered a scholarship worth VND1 million ($47).

In the first year of the programme, Viettel pledged to fund 26,000 scholarships worth VND26 billion ($1.2 million).

Figures from the ministry show that around 200,000 students drop out of school in the country every year. Most of them live in poor communities of remote rural mountainous districts and often drop out so they could work to supplement their families' incomes.

At a conference on the programme held here yesterday, Nguyen Thi Nghia, deputy education minister, said that through the programme, numerous groups and people have supported study encouragement activities, thereby helping thousands of poor students to continue studying in spite of their impoverished condition.

Le Dang Dung, Viettel deputy head, said he expected other sponsors to co-operate with the group in widening the programme's coverage.

Viettel has been practicing corporate social responsibility by funding the programme and implementing several activities for the community such as "Heart for Children," "Children's Smile" Programme and housing projects for poor people.

In the education sector, besides funding scholarships, the company has provided broadband Internet and has launched several solutions and applications for all schools and educational units in the country. – VNS