Lend a Building Hand

Khâu Táo primary school is located in the outskirt of the mountainous province of Ha Giang, Vietnam. The 72-year-old 4-room building still houses more than 50 pre-school and primary school children plus 7 staff including teachers. Weathered by harsh climate conditions and the course of time, it has degraded to almost an uninhabitable state. Despite the dangerous conditions, the building presumes its functions due to the dire lack of state funding. Moreover, the desire for education in this rural village is much greater than fear. Every day, the children and teachers continue to march to school, on foot through the mountains in the cold. For they know this is the only way to a brighter future for themselves and for the whole village!

Proper education should be universal human right! The students and teachers of Khau Tao primary school, just like you and me, deserve a safe and good educational environment. This is the sole purpose of Lend a Building Hand, a co-operation project between the Vietnamese Student Association in the Netherlands, the Youth Union of Thai Nguyen University (Vietnam) and the Youth Union of Xin Man Hamlet (Vietnam).
The aim of Lend A Building Hand project is to raise at least 10.000 euro to rebuild the school. All donations will go directly to the bank account of the Vietnamese student association in the Netherlands. The money will then be used to purchase materials for the construction of the school and any extra will be contributed towards purchase of equipments for teaching and studying. The respective youth unions are in charge of extra fundraising and galvanizing local university students and villagers to contribute working days towards the physical construction of the school. Ultimately, we hope to welcome the school year 2017- 2018 with a brand new building!

I am Chung and I am a board chairman of the Vietnamese Student Association in the Netherlands (VSNL). This project is a joint initiative from myself and the charity team of the association, and has now become one of the biggest projects for the whole association this year. As students who have the privilege to receive an education in a developed country like the Netherlands, each and every one of us believes that education is truly important and has the power to turn dreams into reality. Keeping children in school is keeping those dreams alive and a sturdy school is crucial in making that happen. Your gesture, however small, would therefore benefit hundreds of minority students!

This project is supported by the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the Netherlands, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture – Vietnam and the local authority of Xin Man, Ha Giang.