It has often been said that education is the most important legacy any parent can leave to their children. Indeed, a good education provides children with a solid foundation to develop themselves and achieve their aspirations.
In Vietnam, education is highly valued, as it is seen as a means to creating a better future. It is with this in mind that we’ve launched the You and Me program, which aims to give indigent students access to education.
For the You and Me program, we selected to support the Dong Thanh C Primary School in Vietnam’s Vinh Long Province. Located 170 kilometers outside of Ho Chi Minh City near the Mekong River, Dong Thanh C Primary School has a student population of 285 Vietnamese and Cambodian students in the 1st to 5th grade levels.
Most of the students at Dong Thanh C Primary School come from poor families, and many of them cannot pay their tuition fees and health insurance, or even buy uniforms or lunch meals. As a way to help this school community, Edelman Vietnam has pledged to provide financial assistance to 86 students who have consistently received high marks in class but cannot afford their school and health insurance fees for the incoming academic year. We will also provide financial support to help the school purchase much needed equipment for students in time for the opening of classes in August 2018.
We called our advocacy You and Me because beyond just providing financial assistance to the school, we want to create personal connections with our student beneficiaries. Each Edelman Vietnam employee will become a sponsor to one or two students, acting as a big brother or sister who will help them track their academic progress, provide mentorship and guidance, and generally be a source of support as the children go through life and its challenges.
The You and Me program is also Edelman Vietnam’s flagship project to further deepen the Citizenship culture within our office. Our young staff, who have always been open and eager to do more and give back to the community, have now found an outlet in which to share their time and talents with those who need it most.
We are delighted to launch this program at Edelman Vietnam and look forward to sustaining our initiatives to support our community in the years to come.
Vaninna Davidon is client manager in Corporate, Edelman Vietnam.