500 schoolchildren from rural areas learn about role of water at Kids’ Lab 2016
BASF brings interactive education program to Vietnamese kids for sixth consecutive year
Schoolchildren learn about the critical role of water and water saving through fun experiments
[Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam , November 9, 2016]
About 500 primary students from Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7 and the rural districts of Nhà Bè and Can Gio today learned about the critical role of water in the daily lives, and discovered how chemistry can help water conservation, at BASF Kids’ Lab 2016. The interactive education program was co-hosted by BASF and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education & Training for the sixth consecutive year at Vietopia Edutainment center, District 7.
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Primary students doing water experiments under instruction of volunteers
Participants included students from schools in areas where access to clean water is an important issue for local residents, including Tân Quy Primary School in District 7, Dương Văn Lịch and Lê Quang Định Schools from Nhà Bè District, and Lý Nhơn, Tam Thôn Hiệp and An Thới Đông schools from Cần Giờ District. Kids had fun as they were guided through two experiments by BASF employees and university student volunteers.
During the water purification experiment, students learned how dirty water is purified and turned into clean water by using activated charcoal. The experiment underscores the value of clean drinking water and the importance of purifying wastewater from houses and factories, to be recycled and reused before it flows back into the rivers and lakes.
The water storage experiment teaches students how a chemical compound called superabsorbent polymer can absorb water and offer a wide variety of applications in daily life, including baby diapers.
“While Vietnam, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City, is developing rapidly, resulting in improved quality of life, many of the city’s rural districts including Cần Giờ and Nhà Bè are still facing challenges in accessing clean water, partly due to the underdeveloped infrastructure system. By introducing these two experiments, we want to raise awareness of the urgency of water conservation among the next generation at an early age. This is how we introduce the importance of chemistry as an enabler for a sustainable future,” said Tanachart Ralsiripong, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam.
BASF Kids’ Lab is designed to help children learn from an early age about how chemistry can improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. Originated from BASF’s headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany in 1997 as part of the company’s commitment to sustainability, BASF Kids’ Lab has been active in over 30 countries. By the end of 2016, the program will have reached out to almost 3,000 Vietnamese students thanks to support of the Primary Education Division (HCMC Department of Education & Training).
Note to Editor:
A dedicated Facebook page has been set up for participants and interested parties to share photos and comments: BASF Kids’ Lab Asia Pacific Facebook.
About BASF Vietnam
BASF has been active in Vietnam since the establishment of its representative office in 1994. BASF Vietnam Limited was set up in 2009 and the company has one production site for construction chemicals. BASF Vietnam also maintains three sales offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Danang. It provides a wide range of products, including plastics, petrochemicals, construction chemicals, fine chemicals, performance chemicals, paper chemicals, and crop protection. BASF sales to customers in Vietnam were approximately €240 million in 2015. BASF employed 140 people in Vietnam as of the end of 2015. Further information on BASF in Vietnam is available at www.basf.com/vn.
