A student expresses joy in front of the newly inaugurated bathhouse. "Now we have a private place to bathe, with warm water so we won't be cold anymore," she said.

The Hope Foundation, FPT Corporation, and the People's Committee of Hung Son commune (Da Nang City) recently inaugurated the Hope Bathhouse at Gari Semi-Boarding Primary School.

The project was funded by FPT Japan and Mr. Ogawa Takeo, the late General Director of FPT Japan.

Gari, a sparsely populated border region near Laos, is about 170 km from Da Nang and primarily inhabited by the Co Tu ethnic group. On 1/7, Gari merged with three other communes – Axan, Ch’om, and Tr’hy – to form Hung Son commune.

Sharing the joy with the children during the inauguration, Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Hoa, Chief Operating Officer of FPT Japan, expressed her belief that with community support, children in the highlands, including students in Gari, will strive to overcome difficulties, pursue their dreams, and become valuable citizens contributing to their homeland's development.

The bathhouse is equipped with solar panels to ensure continuous hot water, especially during the rainy season when power outages are common in the highlands.

A covered and airy courtyard in front of the bathhouse provides sturdy hanging frames for students to dry their clothes after washing.

Previously, students at Gari Semi-Boarding Primary School had to share a common washroom. The project has constructed two separate bathhouses for boys and girls, each with 5 private rooms and hot water, suitable for the cold climate of the 1,300m high border region.

Despite being on summer break, students from Gari Semi-Boarding Primary School prepared special performances for the guests. Fellow students enthusiastically watched and cheered them on.

Volunteers from FPT Corporation added a personal touch by decorating parts of the bathhouse.

Established in 2017, the Hope Foundation, operated by VnExpress Newspaper and FPT Corporation, has implemented numerous programs to support disadvantaged areas, focusing on children and educational infrastructure to promote development.

The Bathhouse Project, part of the School Light program, was launched by the Hope Foundation in 2024 to address the issue of students bathing outdoors in cold water, particularly during the harsh winters.

As part of the program, students also received gender awareness training from Ms. Vu Phuong Thao, Central Region Director of the TEENYEEU Project, under the Center for Children and Development (CCD) and the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Child Rights.

The volunteers also distributed gifts, including snacks, 163 backpacks, and clothes, to help the students in this remote area near Laos prepare for the new school year.

Other gifts, including a television, water purifier, and water heater, were presented to the teachers and students of Gari by representatives of the Hope Foundation, FPT Corporation, and FPT Japan.

The vibrant red of the children's new clothes added to the joyful atmosphere in anticipation of the 80th National Day anniversary.

The volunteers were touched by the affection they received from the students in Gari.

Last year, the Hope Foundation's Bathhouse Project piloted three initial facilities in Son La, Bac Kan, and Yen Bai. This year, the project is being implemented in Quang Tri and Da Nang City.

Nguyen Dong