Inaugurate 22 Restrooms for ethnic minority students in Lao Cai and Lai Chau

On July 10th, 2023, For Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF), TH Group, BAC A BANK, in collaboration with The Vietnam National Volunteer Center, Lao Cai Provincial Youth Union and local authorities, held the Inauguration Ceremony of 20 “Restrooms for children” at 20 schools at Si Ma Cai, Bat Xat and Bac Ha districts, Lao Cai Province.

Representatives from TH Group, BAC A BANK, The Vietnam National Volunteer Center, and Lao Cai Youth Union, along with partners and students, gathered at the inauguration ceremony

This is the next activity of the project “Building 1,000 school restrooms” within the framework of  "Wishes for Children" program calling for the society to support students and teachers in difficult, remote and ethnic minority areas. With a construction cost of 60,000,000 VND per restroom, equivalent to a total budget of up to 1.2 billion VND, the projects aim to improve and enhance learning conditions and the health of students in schools located in remote areas and areas inhabited by ethnic minority communities.

Ms. Vu Thi Viet Ha, representative from the BAC A BANK - Lao Cai Branch, shared: "Over the years, with our shared passion for community activities, For Vietnamese Stature Foundation, TH Group, and BAC A BANK have been working together to implement numerous meaningful programs to spread true happiness throughout society. We hope that the 20 restroom facilities inaugurated today, along with other projects in the '1,000 Restrooms for Children' program, will provide students with the opportunity to use clean and safe restrooms. This will improve their health, help them focus on their studies,and attract social resources to invest in the right direction for children, contributing to the development of friendly schools with healthy students".

The project building 1,000 Restrooms for Children with a total budget of 6.15 billion VND was launched in April 2021 with the aim to repair and construct of new standard toilets in schools located in disadvantaged areas

Previously, two restrooms in Lai Chau had been completed and put into use, contributing to improving clean water and sanitation conditions and the well-being of students there. Since 2023, the project has started construction on 64 restrooms for schools in difficult areas in Lao Cai, Lang Son, and Bac Kan provinces.

Mr. Nguyen Hai Dang, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union and Chairman of the Lao Cai Youth Union, stated: "These projects not only provide our children in difficult areas with better access to clean and safe restrooms but also convey a message of love and care for community development. On behalf of the Provincial Youth Union, I would like to send our sincere gratitude to all involved parties for ensuring the progress and quality of the projects to serve the students".

On this occasion, the units also donated 400 portions of TH true MILK to the students of Lung Phinh Kindergarten in Bac Ha District.

In addition to the 1,000 Restrooms for Children project, VSF also carries out other projects in Lao Cai Province, such as the "Happy School” project to improve infrastructure conditions for classrooms and enhance students and teachers’ capacity, and the "No voice - No equal future" project to strengthen the participation of women and ethnic minority children in gender-based violence prevention and improve the economic situation of their families.

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The 1,000 Restrooms for Children project is jointly executed by TH Group, BAC A BANK, and For Vietnamese Stature Foundation. The project has a total budget of 61.5 billion VND and was launched in April 2021 with the aim of renovating and constructing standard restroom facilities in mountainous, remote, and challenging areas.

To effectively implement the 1,000 Restrooms for Children project, the Vietnam Volunteer Information Resource Centre (also known as The Vietnam National Volunteer Center) is designated by the Ministry of Education and Training, Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, and other relevant parties as the permanent unit responsible for coordinating and receiving resources and implementing the "Wishes for Children" Program, which includes the "Restrooms for Children" program. The Ministry of Education and Training, in collaboration with local educational authorities, establishes standards and regulations for school restroom construction and oversees the assessment of construction needs and the completion of the projects. TH Group and BAC A BANK, as the sponsors of the 1,000 Restrooms for Children project, authorize For Vietnamese Stature Foundation to coordinate the disbursement of funds for project implementation through The Vietnam National Volunteer Center. In addition, local youth unions will also participate to contribute their labor in the construction of the projects.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training in 2021 showed that there were 188,000 school restrooms nationwide at all levels of education, from preschool to high school, of which only 67% were solidly built while the remaining 33% required support for upgrading or construction. In some areas, school restrooms have not received adequate attention and investment. Students may feel hesitant or even afraid to use them due to lack of cleanliness or privacy. The involvement of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, TH Group, For Vietnamese Stature Foundation, and BAC A BANK through the 1,000 Restrooms for Children project will support the education sector in addressing these issues. Putting the school restroom facilities into use will provide students with the opportunity to use clean, friendly, and safe restrooms. This is essential for improving their health and giving them peace of mind in their studies. It will also attract diverse social resources to invest in the right direction for children, creating a "friendly school environment with healthy students."