As part of the project, two new classrooms and a playground that cover a total area of 328 square metres have been rebuilt. Facilitated by Saigon Children's Charity CIO, the project aims to offer a better and safer learning environment to almost 150 school children.

Erick Contreras (in the middle in blue) and other partners cutting the ribbon to inaugurate the new facility

Before the renovation, students attended classes in old facilities that were built in 2005. The previous structures were basic and the materials were uncomfortable, especially during high temperatures and rainy weather. The new facilities provide a safer and more comfortable environment that enables more efficient and effective learning and development.

Erick Contreras, managing director of BASF Vietnam said, “As part of our long-term commitment to support the nation's educational development, BASF and our key partners have enabled school children from remote areas to gain better access to quality education through this school renovation program. Despite the various challenges over the last two years, we are proud to continue our flagship programme and once again bring local students a safe and high-quality learning environment.”

The new facilities are painted using safe and environment-friendly products meeting Green Label Certification, sponsored by the well-known paint and coatings manufacturer Nippon Paint Vietnam. These paints are made with BASF ingredients.

Supporting BASF in this project are a range of other partners, such as Brenntag Vietnam, MKVN Chemicals, Phuc Hung, Sam Chem Sphere, and Viet Duc Lubricants and Chemicals.

Nhon Hung commune shares a border with Cambodia in the mountainous Tinh Bien district. Over 25 per cent of the residents are Khmer ethnic people and 11.5 per cent of them are from low-income households. School dropout has been one of the biggest challenges for this local community.

Students exploring the wonder of chemistry via the online platform BASF Virtual Lab. Many of them are using a laptop for the very first time

Apart from the collaborative school renovation initiative, BASF Vietnam has been active in multiple community projects. It holds the interactive education programme BASF Kids’ Lab on an annual basis for about 5,000 schoolchildren and offers BASF Virtual Lab – a website for primary students to do fun online chemistry experiments. The company has also built five public playgrounds for over 12,000 children.

Schoolchildren enjoying the books that were donated by BASF and its partners

BASF Vietnam has been implementing many community programs. Among those are supporting Vietnam's sustainable development goals to improve quality of life, nurturing schoolchildren’s interest in chemistry and natural sciences, and giving the country’s next-generation better access to education and future success.

In addition, the company supports local communities to overcome the pandemic. It has donated to frontline workers at quarantine centres, elderly people in nursing homes, and needy families under lockdown in some of the hardest-hit areas in the country.

The organisation also joined Eurocham Vietnam’s Breathe Again donation campaign to offer medical equipment for hospitals in the most deprived areas.

BASF has been active in Vietnam since the establishment of its representative office in 1994 and was locally incorporated in 2009. It maintains two sales offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, offering solutions for Vietnam’s key industries, including agriculture, construction, automotive, footwear, coatings, and electronics.

BASF Vietnam’s sales stood at approximately $370 million in 2021 and it employed more than 110 people in the country as of year-end.