Join Hope Foundation to build school toilets for mountainous students

Overcrowding, degradation, and damage are common conditions of many school toilets in these areas, such as Dong Van District in Ha Giang Province, Muong Nhe District in Dien Bien Province, and Van Ho District in Son La Province.

A makeshift toilet at Dinh Lung school branch, Ta Phin Primary and Secondary Semi-boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province. Photo by NA

At Dinh Lung school branch of Ta Phin Primary and Secondary Semi-boarding School for Ethnic Minorities in Dong Van District, more than 40 students and teachers had to use temporary toilets made from bricks and corrugated iron amid jagged rocks. At Pho Cao Primary School, hundreds of students share a makeshift toilet made of corrugated iron, lacking a waste treatment and drainage system.

In many other schools, toilets have been degraded, damaged, and almost unusable. Some schools in Dong Van District such as Sang Tung B, San Sy Tung, Lai Co, and Tu San... do not even have toilets.

A similar situation also occurs at many schools in Muong Nhe District of Dien Bien province, and Van Ho District of Son La Province.

Palm leaf toilets needed to be replaced every 1-2 months at Pa Puoc school branch, Chieng Yen Commune, Van Ho District, Son La Province. Photo by Vy An

According to data from Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training, in the 2019-2020 school year, more than 30% of school toilets did not meet standards across the country. UNICEF's report in Vietnam shows that lack of access to clean water and sanitation, along with poor hygiene practices, contribute to high rates of diarrhea, pneumonia, and parasitic infections.

The school healthcare program for the period 2021 - 2025 approved by the prime minister sets a goal that by 2025, 100% of schools will have toilets, of which 50% of schools will have enough toilets for students according to regulations and 80% of toilets ensure hygienic conditions.

With the "School Hygiene" project, the Hope Foundation aims to build 100 new toilets in 2022-2023, including 20 toilets in Ha Giang's Dong Van District, helping children improve their understanding of school hygiene, thereby knowing how to take care of their health, creating a foundation for a healthy generation.

A new toilet funded by Hope Foundation was built in Van Ho District, Son La Province in October 2022. Photo by Do Trung

Previously, Hope Foundation built 49 toilets in Son La's Van Ho District and Dien Bien's Muong Nhe District, providing better learning conditions for 7,000 students and teachers.

Truong Thanh Thanh, Chairwoman of Hope Foundation's Management Board, said that this was a project that the foundation had planned for a long time. It will not only be implemented in Son La and Dien Bien but is also expected to be implemented in a number of provinces in the mountainous northeast of Vietnam.

"Many children said that they do not dare to go to the toilet at school because it is too dirty and too inconvenient. That urges our foundation to not only build a school for them but also aim to renovate the toilet system so that the children can have better learning conditions. We hope to continue to receive the companionship and support of businesses and philanthropists to make the lives of Vietnamese children better," said Thanh.

Please send all contributions to:

Hope Foundation Office - VnExpress Newspaper

Northern Vietnam: 9th Floor, FPT Tower, No. 10 Pham Van Bach Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi.

Southern Vietnam: 6th Floor, Exchange Tower, No. 1 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Mobile phone: 0972 776 776

Bank accounts for donation:

Transfer money with a note, written without accents:
Donor’s name - School Hygiene
(Example: John Doe – School Hygiene)

TPBank (VND)

Account Name: QUY HY VONG

Account Number: 73007300602

Bank name: TIEN PHONG COMMERCIAL JOINT STOCK BANK, HANOI, VIETNAM.

Address: TPBank Building – 57 Ly Thuong Kiet – Hoan Kiem District – Hanoi - Vietnam

Swift code/BIC: TPBVVNVN

TPBank (USD)

Account Name: HOPE FOUNDATION

Account Number: 73007300503

Bank name: TIEN PHONG COMMERCIAL JOINT STOCK BANK, HANOI, VIETNAM.

Address: TPBank Building – 57 Ly Thuong Kiet – Hoan Kiem District – Hanoi - Vietnam

Swift code/BIC: TPBVVNVX