Volvo Car Vietnam, in collaboration with the Hope Foundation, is undertaking significant projects to improve educational infrastructure in Vietnam's remote areas. These initiatives include constructing a new school site in Lam Dong and renovating classrooms in Lai Chau, directly impacting nearly 200 students from ethnic minority communities. This partnership aims to provide safer and more conducive learning environments, addressing long-standing issues of deteriorated facilities and lack of access to education.

In Lai Chau province, the To Y Phin school site, part of Lan Nhi Thang Semi-Boarding Ethnic Primary School, serves nearly 90 Hmong students. Constructed in 2007, the buildings have deteriorated over nearly 20 years of use. Classroom walls and ceilings peeled, mold grew, floors cracked and sank, and the corrugated iron roof rusted, leaking during heavy rain. The electrical system failed, posing safety risks, and the sole restroom facility broke down completely.

An overview of the To Y Phin school site before receiving support. Photo: School provided

The school site also lacked a separate kitchen. Teachers cooked in classrooms or rest rooms, while food preparation occurred outdoors, lacking clean water and drainage. This compromised food hygiene and safety for boarding students. To address these issues, the Hope Foundation launched a project to repair classrooms, upgrade restrooms, and build a new kitchen. This initiative, costing nearly 700 million VND, is supported by Volvo Car Vietnam and other partners. "A safe, durable learning environment will make teaching and learning more convenient, alleviating the worries of teachers and students whenever it rains or cold winds arrive in winter", said Dang Van Sau, the school principal.

Over 1,300 km away, in sub-zone 179, Dam Rong 2 commune, Lam Dong, dozens of children aged 3-5 years old could not attend school due to a lack of facilities. Most are children from Hmong ethnic minority families, who typically accompany their parents to the fields daily or wait outside primary school classrooms for their older siblings. "It is a major disadvantage that children cannot go to school simply because there are no classrooms", said Dao Thi Hoa, the school principal.

Young children in Sub-zone 179. Photo: Thanh Nga

To ensure these children have access to education, the Hope Foundation initiated a project to build a new preschool site in sub-zone 179. This project includes two classrooms with enclosed restrooms, a preschool kitchen, a concrete yard, and auxiliary facilities. The total cost for this project is over 1.3 billion VND, with Volvo Car Vietnam and other partners providing support.

Both projects in Lai Chau and Lam Dong are scheduled for completion and handover before the 2026-2027 school year. This timing will allow students to move into new, well-equipped classrooms. Improving these facilities will not only enhance teaching and learning quality but also enable teachers and students to commit to their schools with greater peace of mind.

Since 2024, Volvo Car Vietnam has consistently partnered with the Hope Foundation to improve school infrastructure in various localities, including Lao Cai, Dak Nong, Lai Chau, and Lam Dong. Beyond construction and repairs, they have also donated hundreds of gifts and school supplies, contributing to improved educational opportunities for students in underserved regions. "Some journeys are not measured by distance, but by the good deeds sown along the way," a Volvo Car Vietnam representative stated. "With a human-centric philosophy, we continue to partner with the Hope Foundation and VnExpress newspaper, continuing our journey of sharing and bringing community initiatives to where they are most needed."

Handover ceremony for the school site repair project in Lam Dong province with Volvo Car Vietnam. Photo: Hope Foundation

These efforts are part of the "School Light" program, launched by the Hope Foundation in 2018. The program mobilizes community resources to enhance learning conditions by building new schools, repairing classrooms, adding equipment, teaching materials, books, and improving sanitation and access to clean water for hundreds of educational facilities nationwide.

Readers can partner with the Hope Foundation here:

Program name: Your name - School light

Program ID: 22966

Thanh Nguyet