OVER 1.75 BILLION VIETNAMESE DONG DONATED BY LIFESTART FOUNDATION TO ASSIST DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS IN ACCESSING CLEAN DRINKING WATER AND ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES

Over 1.75 billion Vietnamese Dong Donated by Lifestart Foundation to Assist Disadvantaged Students in Accessing Clean Drinking Water and Essential Supplies

Quang Nam, July and August 2024 - Lifestart Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Hoi An city, Quang Nam and originating from Australia, recently visited and provided ten clean water filtration systems and water tanks to ten underprivileged schools situated in the mountainous regions of Quang Nam.

In this most recent initiative, the schools benefiting from the water treatment systems and tanks are located in Bac Tra My and Phuoc Son districts in Quang Nam. Specifically, seven schools in Bac Tra My district, including Huong Tra Kindergarten in Tra Nu commune, the main and branch schools of Tra Tan Kindergarten in Tra Tan commune, Mang Non Kindergarten in Trà Ka commune, branch schools 4A and 6A of Tuoi Tho Kindergarten in Tra Bui commune, and Phong Lan Kindergarten in Tra My town, along with three schools in Phuoc Son district - Son Ca Kindergarten in Kham Duc town, Anh Hong Kindergarten in Kham Duc town, and the Boarding School of Phuoc Kim Secondary and High School in Phuoc Kim commune. These schools, predominantly attended by students from the Ca Dong ethnic minority group, are situated in challenging areas.

Notably, four communes fall under Region III (marked as extremely challenging communes): Tra Nu, Tra Ka, Tra Bui, Phuoc Kim, along with three communes and towns categorized under Region I (communes still grappling with difficulties): Tra Tan commune, Tra My town, and Kham Duc town, as per Decision No-861 issued by the Prime Minister for the period 2021-2025.

The installation of clean water treatment systems will benefit nearly 2,000 students, teachers, and staff members of the aforementioned schools specifically during the academic year 2024-2025.

The water treatment systems are engineered to eliminate impurities, bacteria, viruses, and harmful heavy metals from water, ensuring the provision of clean water that meets the ISO standard of the Ministry of Health for direct drinking water quality at the tap, which currently stands as the highest national standard for direct drinking water. These systems have an approximate value of up to 57.5 million Vietnamese dong each, with a capacity of 200 liters per hour. Additionally, many systems are furnished with a 500-liter stainless steel tank to guarantee an ample supply of clean water for the daily requirements of students and schools. The overall cost of installing the water treatment system for this project is approximately 454 million Vietnamese dong.

The clean water project is an annual endeavor undertaken by Lifestart Foundation in Quang Nam province since 2021. To date, the clean water project has facilitated 38 water treatment systems for various disadvantaged schools, totaling over 1.75 billion Vietnamese dong in value. This initiative ensures the availability of safe clean drinking water for students, teachers, and staff at schools, addressing the fundamental clean water needs of individuals in challenging areas and benefiting over 10,200 people directly throughout the years of project implementation.

Ms. Karen Leonard, the founder of Lifestart Foundation, remarked, "Given the current scarcity of clean water, ensuring the quality of drinking water for students in disadvantaged areas is an urgent matter. Recognizing this, the Lifestart Foundation has elected to sponsor water treatment systems as a pivotal project."

Ms. Leonard emphasized, "The program supporting water treatment systems by the Lifestart Foundation not only provides safe drinking water for students but also extends free support to teachers and school staff. This contributes to enhancing the health and learning quality of students, improving the quality of work for teachers and staff at the school, while diminishing the risk of gastrointestinal and other infectious diseases."

Mr. Tran Van Mai, Vice Chairman of the Quang Nam Province Union of Friendship Organizations, shared, "The absence of drinking water filtration systems in schools impacts the daily activities of students and school staff, particularly concerning health and the care of boarding students. The Union of Friendship Organizations of Quang Nam Province acknowledges this as a crucial requirement for schools, making the provision of water filtration systems from the Lifestart Foundation to schools in specific areas of the province genuinely practical and effective."

According to Mrs. Nguyen Thi Nhat Kieu, Principal of Son Ca Kindergarten in Kham Duc town, Phuoc Son District, "The school is greatly appreciative and pleased to have been chosen by the Lifestart Foundation for support with a water filtration system on this occasion. We are committed to utilizing this system effectively and placing significant importance on maintenance and preservation to optimize the long-term benefits of the system."

Through unwavering efforts, Lifestart Foundation has played a role in fostering positive changes in the lives of individuals in the Central region, particularly in Quang Nam province, with a special focus on children.

In 2025, the organization plans to donate an additional 10 drinking water filtration systems to schools in the more disadvantaged mountainous districts of Quang Nam province, increasing the total number of benefiting schools to 48.

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Apart from delivering the water systems, during this period, Lifestart Foundation also provided support in the form of 25 gift packages comprising essential items worth a total of 10,000,000 VND for 25 students facing challenging circumstances at Hoa Mi Kindergarten - Tan Hiep A School in Tra Son commune, Bac Tra My district, Quang Nam province. These packages included vital daily life products such as rice, cooking oil, detergent, shampoo, fish sauce, matches, toothpaste, and fresh milk, which were personally delivered to the children. The organization hopes that this aid will help the children and their families to some extent in overcoming the challenges in their daily lives.

*About Lifestart Foundation:

Founded in 2000 by Australian Karen Leonard OAM and supported by dedicated volunteers, Lifestart Foundation is a grassroots, not-for-profit charity that helps disadvantaged Vietnamese families become self-sufficient. Through its Education Scholarships and Housing Improvement projects, it has invested over 33 Billion VND in the youth of Central Vietnam.

*Contact information:

Lifestart Foundation

175 Ly Thai To Street, Cam Chau Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

Website: www.lifestartfoundation.org.au -Telephone: +84(0)76 402 7402

Email: admin@lifestartfoundation.org.au - Ms. Nhung (Education Scholarship & Housing Project Manager)