‘Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures’ is a philanthropic programme initiated by Mastercard and VPBank. — Photo courtesy of Mastercard

Mastercard and Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) have announced they will continue of their joint philanthropic initiative to support children in mountainous areas of Việt Nam.

Started in 2023, the ‘Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures’ initiative aims to enable access to education for children living in remote mountainous areas of Việt Nam, by granting funds for essential infrastructure and food supplies to the ‘The Loving Leaves’ programme through the Vietnam Charity Fund.

For this second year, the initiative will be kick started with the Mastercard Kids Run in October 2024.

The 600-metre race will take place on October 12 close to Hoàn Kiếm lake, with more than 500 participants. Through the route of historic streets surrounding the lake including the Turtle Tower, Thê Húc Bridge and Ngọc Sơn Temple, the run not only offers a unique chance to enjoy Hà Nội’s iconic landmarks but also provides young participants with the opportunity to engage in an enriching experience designed to promote healthy lifestyles from an early age.

Representatives from VPBank and Mastercard provided funding for the construction of a school for children at Hoàng Lan School, Quyết Tiến Commune, Quản Bạ District, Hà Giang Province. — Photo courtesy of Mastercard

Following this and during October and November, Mastercard will contribute VNĐ7,100 for every payment of VNĐ300,000 or more made using a VPBank Mastercard debit or credit card. These funds will be donated to ‘The Loving Leaves’, who will conduct on-site assessments in various underserved areas and connect them to the initiative for school construction or renovation.

Last year, over 500 children took part in the Mastercard Kids Run 2023, attracting nearly 10,000 spectators.

With the support of more than 3.5 million transactions from VPBank Mastercard cardholders, in 2023 more than VNĐ4.8 billion was raised, enabling the construction of ten rural schools and providing vital educational materials and food packages to children in these underserved regions of Việt Nam. — VNS