BASF and customers launch joint project to improve learning environment at needy kindergarten in Đồng Nai, Vietnam

BASF and 10 partners from Vietnam and Thailand renovate Sông Ray Kindergarten in Cẩm Mỹ District

Approximately 70 students will benefit each academic year 

Đồng Nai, Vietnam – November 14, 2018 – BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, today broke ground on a school renovation project for a kindergarten in a remote area of Đồng Nai Province. Under the project, co-sponsored by BASF and 10 customers from Vietnam and Thailand, two new classrooms with a total area of over 170 square meters will be built for the Sông Ray kindergarten, located in a remote area of Đồng Nai Province. Facilitated by Saigon Children’s Charity CIO, the construction project will be completed in 2019, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of BASF Vietnam.
 

The two classrooms were built five years ago as temporary structures with all-metal walls and ceilings.
The two classrooms, currently accommodating 70 children aged two and three, were built five years ago as temporary structures with all-metal walls and ceilings, an uncomfortable environment during high temperatures and in rainy weather. After renovation, the kindergarten will be equipped with brand new facilities, including hygiene amenities and a storeroom. The kindergarten is located in Cẩm Mỹ District, approximately 120 km from Hồ Chí Minh City.
 

(from left)Representatives of Nippon Paint Vietnam, Phuong Nam Insulation, Samchem Sphere, BASF Vietnam and MKVN interacting with the beneficiary schoolkids.
A total of approximately $43,000 (VND1 billion), in both money and materials to renovate the school, was donated by BASF and customers in Vietnam and Thailand.
 
The co-sponsors from Vietnam include:

Sam Chem Sphere, a distributor of industrial chemicals, industrial lubricants, fleet lubricants and waterproofing materials;

MKVN Chemicals, a company active in distributing care chemicals, nutrition and health, and other functional products;

Eason Urai Paint, a subsidiary of Eason Group in Thailand, manufacturing and distributing motorcycle coatings and other industrial paints.

The project is also supported by donors from Thailand including:

The Sun Chemical, a personal care solution provider, importer and logistics service provider of a broad chemicals portfolio for the cosmetics & toiletries, pharmaceutical, detergent, household, industrial & institutional, rubber, textile and food businesses

Unique Coating Chemicals, a distributor of performance additives, polymer dispersions & pigments for coatings and printing inks, and resins for coatings

VITA, an affiliated company of VIV Group, distributing a comprehensive range of ingredients and providing solutions for nutrition and health in the animal feed, food and pharmaceutical industries

BAKA, an importer and distributor of pesticides 

Sahaikaset Agrochemicals, an importer, exporter, and distributor of chemicals, fertilizers, and agricultural products

 
BASF also donated BASF’s Master Builders Solutions® waterproofing products to help the building resist rain. The roof panels were donated by Phuong Nam Insulation, a supplier of high quality insulation roof panels, to keep the school free from heat and noise issues. Nippon Paint Vietnam also sponsored low odor products made with BASF ingredients that reduce impact on human health. The new facility will offer children better learning facilities as well as improved hygiene and safety conditions.
 
Tanachart Ralsiripong, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam, said, “BASF continuously supports the local community through a variety of programs with a focus on providing quality education. These include school renovation projects like this one, and BASF Kids’ Lab, which provides safe, interactive chemistry experiments to inspire children’s interest in science. We are pleased to support this initiative to provide a healthy learning environment for children, ensuring that they have better access to education. The completion of the project next year will mark 25 years of creating chemistry in Vietnam. This demonstrates our strong commitment to this important market.”
 

Tanachart Ralsiripong, Managing Director, BASF Vietnam, presenting giveaways to the toddlers from Song Ray kindergarten that BASF and its 10 partners co-sponsor.
Petrus Ng, Managing Director, BASF Thailand added, “At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We aim to make our customers more successful with our innovative chemistry solutions, and to support the communities where we do business. I am proud to see our long-standing customers in both Vietnam and Thailand joining hands in this important effort.”
 

Representatives from co-sponsors, saigonchildren, school and local authorities groundbreaking the renovation project.
Đồng Nai is one of Vietnam’s manufacturing hubs, with a diverse number of industrial parks. Nevertheless, many areas are still left behind due to the lack of investment in the remote locations, impacting development in both economy and education. In the Sông Ray commune, 5% of the population is classified as poor, with an average income of less than VND700,000 per person (equivalent to $30) each month, with income in the remaining population at not more than VND4 million per person (around $200) each month.[1]
 
BASF Vietnam has been active in multiple community projects. In partnership with Saigon Children’s Charity, BASF has renovated three schools in Trà Vinh and Hậu Giang provinces, offering enhanced facilities and improved hygiene and safety conditions for about 350 students in this region. In addition, BASF has offered scholarships to nearly 20 disadvantaged university students for their four years of study. The company recently worked with the world’s leading paint manufacturer, Nippon Paint, to offer paint sponsorship that redecorated over 7,500 square meters of school area in Mekong Delta, benefiting almost 1,000 children.
 

Group photos of teachers, schoolkids, local authorities, BASF team and partners at the ceremony.
Since 2011, BASF has brought its global interactive education program BASF Kids’ Lab to Vietnam on an annual basis in partnership with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education & Training. A total of approximately 4,000 primary school children have participated in order to learn about the fascinating world of chemistry, and how to improve quality of life and conserve natural resources.
 
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into four segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of more than €60 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.
 
About Saigon Children’s Charity CIO
Saigon Children's Charity CIO (saigonchildren) was founded in 1992 to help disadvantaged children in Vietnam to escape from the cycle of poverty by giving them an education and a fair start in life.
 
saigonchildren takes simple, practical steps to ensure that the children most in need get an education. We build schools and provide scholarships, as well as targeted extra help and vocational training. We work in and around Ho Chi Minh City, including District 4, District 8, Tan Phu District and in the rural fringes such as Can Gio, Cu Chi and District 9. In addition, we work in rural provinces close to HCMC such as Dong Nai and Tay Ninh, several provinces of the Mekong Delta (Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Kien Giang, Hau Giang) and have also built classrooms in Quang Tri, Phu Tho and Ninh Binh Provinces.
 
With more than 25 years of experience, saigonchildren has now built and renovated more than 450 classrooms, and has supported more than 40,000 children and young people with scholarships and vocational training.
 
A board of independent trustees is accountable for the work of the organisation and SCC publishes audited accounts annually with grateful thanks to KPMG. We aim always to be a high quality organisation, which is both transparent and fully accountable.
 
To find out more about saigonchildren, please visit www.saigonchildren.com, call us on (84 8) 3930 3502 or email us at info@saigonchildren.com.
 
 
Media contacts
   
BASF Vietnamsaigonchildren 
Đỗ Kim ChungNguyễn Hồ Ngọc Trâm 
Phone:  +(84 8) 3824 3833Phone:  (+84 28) 3930 3502 
Mobile: +(84 9) 38 945 288Mobile: (+84 9)83 821 723 
Kimchung.do@basf.comTram.nguyen@saigonchildren.com 

[1] Source: Statistics Year Book 2016