At the ceremony
The Vietnam Veteran Entrepreneurs Association and the Vietnam Children's Protection Fund worked with authorities in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang to open a new dormitory for students at a boarding school on Tuesday.
The new dormitory of Ngoc Minh Communal Secondary and High School in Bac Me District, built with donations from the Vietnam Veteran Entrepreneurs Association, was completed in one year.
According to local authorities, most of the students at the school are from the Dao, Tay, Mong, Nung, and Giay ethnic groups who live between 10-15 km from the school. Due to difficult mountainous roads, they must rent houses near the school. Many have dropped out as their parents cannot afford the rent.
Seeing the situation, the Vietnam Veteran Entrepreneurs Association decided to help build a dormitory for students. The 500-square-metre VND6.6-billion (USD264,000) dormitory project was started in early 2023 with a donation of VND5 billion from the association and the remainder from the district's fund. The dormitory can host over 200 students.
Speaking at the event, Le Van Kiem, Chairman of the Vietnam Veteran Entrepreneurs Association, said they wanted to give this present to local children from ethnic groups whose lives were still very difficult.
Le Van Kiem, Chairman of the Vietnam Veteran Entrepreneurs Association, speaks at the event.
"We wanted to help minimise some of the difficulties the people experience here, and we hope that this project will contribute to building a better future for young people in the area," he said.
At the event, Kiem, 80, named one of Forbes' list of Asia's 2019 Heroes of Philanthropy, presented 30 computers and other equipment to the school. He also opened a scholarship fund and donated VND5 billion to it, which will help students from low-income families with outstanding results.