CapitaLand contributes more than VND 6 billion to expand and rejuvenate a second CapitaLand Hope Kindergarten for underprivileged children in Vietnam
- With a new two-storey classroom block and refurbished facilities, CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten aims to triple children intake from around 100 to over 300
- CapitaLand conferred 4th ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Leadership Award under Private Sector Corporation category for contribution to regional rural and community development
Ho Chi Minh City, 12 November 2019 - CapitaLand, through its philanthropic arm, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF), has contributed more than VND 6 billion (about S$350,000) to expand and rejuvenate CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten in Thanh Hoa District of Long An Province, southwest of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. This is CapitaLand’s fourth Hope School and second Hope Kindergarten in Vietnam aimed at providing underprivileged children and teachers living in rural communities with a better environment to learn and teach.
A new two-storey building housing six classrooms was built with help from various partners to provide for the growing population of preschool age children in Thanh Hoa District (Long An Province), where CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten is centrally located and most accessible. The kindergarten currently has about 100 children and aims to be able to accommodate over 300 children. Existing school and play facilities have also been refurbished.
To complete enhancements of the kindergarten, about 100 international CapitaLand staff volunteers from China, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, community volunteers, and partners spent the weekend refreshing the facades by painting fence, walls, wall murals and decorating classrooms. The volunteers were in Vietnam as part of CapitaLand’s 28th International Volunteer Expedition held from 9 to 11 November 2019. The expedition is organised yearly to bring staff volunteers globally to give back to the community together. Staff volunteers also visited the children’s homes and interacted with their families. An inauguration ceremony of the new building was held on 11 November attended by about 200 children, teachers, staff volunteers and local authorities.
Mr Tan Seng Chai, Chief Corporate and People Officer for CapitaLand Group and Executive Director of CapitaLand Hope Foundation, said:
“CapitaLand is committed to building a sustainable organisation guided by the environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles. On the social front, we support the cause to build a better future for underprivileged children by focusing on their education, healthcare and shelter needs through CapitaLand Hope Schools. Many of the schools in the rural areas lack proper facilities. Supported by our philanthropic arm, CapitaLand Hope Foundation, the refurbishment of CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten was a result of combined efforts of staff volunteers, local authorities and partners, enabling us to better meet the early educational needs of children in Thanh Hoa District (Long An Province). To date, we have contributed to the building of 29 CapitaLand Hope Schools in China and Vietnam. Through our International Volunteer Expeditions, our staff play their part in contributing to the communities where we operate. We will continue to also engage our stakeholders and partners to volunteer and add value to our network of CapitaLand Hope Schools.”
Mr Huynh Kim Tung, Vice Director of People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa District (Long An Province) thanked CapitaLand and its philanthropic arm, CapitaLand Hope Foundation for contributing to enhance the learning environment of children. The provincial authority is placing efforts and focus on providing favorable conditions for organisations to collaborate in supporting the community in Long An Province.
Mrs Lam Thi Ngoc Ha, Principal of CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten, said: “Pre-school education is very important for a child’s development. At CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten, we take on an innovative child-centred approach which enables our children to learn and play. Through the expansion of the new school block, we look forward to accommodating more children in the Province and provide holistic education that develops the children’s confidence and collaborative skills.”
Parent of Nguyen Phuoc Toan, who is studying at CapitaLand Tan Tay Hope Kindergarten, said: “As a parent, we always want the best for our child. Being able to receive regular education at a new and conducive school environment has given me hope that my child is empowered with an equal opportunity to excel in life.”
CapitaLand’s partners involved in building and rejuvenating CapitaLand Tan Tay Kindergarten include Nippon Paint, playground equipment provider Playpoint (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, University of Architecture and Van Lang University. Early childhood experts from SEED Institute Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based early childhood education development agency, exchanged teaching experiences with the kindergarten’s teachers. They also conducted a workshop to equip the teachers on best practices in early childhood.
CapitaLand conferred 4th ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (RDPE) Leadership Award under Private Sector Corporation category
CapitaLand Tan Tay Kindergarten is one of many community development efforts that CapitaLand has supported to provide for underprivileged children’s education needs in ASEAN countries. On 8 November 2019, CapitaLand was conferred the 4th ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (RDPE) Leadership Award under the Private Sector category in recognition of the Group’s rural and community development efforts in Singapore and other ASEAN member states. CapitaLand is the second private sector corporation in Singapore to receive this award.
Mr Tan added: “We are humbled to receive the ASEAN RDPE Leadership Award. CapitaLand recognises that the long-term success of our business is closely intertwined with the health and prosperity of the communities where we operate. We are committed to build a sustainable organisation and will give back to the communities as we continue to do well. We believe in the strong growth potential in ASEAN driven by urbanisation and the growing middle class. As we expand our presence in ASEAN, this award inspires us to deepen our efforts on sustainability to make a difference to the lives of the underprivileged in the region.”
Since 2005, through CHF, CapitaLand has donated more than S$39 million to help over 40,000 vulnerable elderly in Singapore and over 164,000 underprivileged children in communities where CapitaLand has presence in. Out of which, over S$22 million went towards supporting community development efforts in ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, through strategic partnerships with local government agencies and non-profit organisations.