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Hau Giang, Vietnam – May 20, 2025 – Four new classrooms and a playground have been presented by BASF Vietnam, its longstanding partners, and other co-sponsors to Phuong Ninh Primary and Secondary School, Phung Hiep District, Hau Giang province, benefiting around 150 students each year. The project marks 10 years of BASF Vietnam’s school renovation program, offering a total of eight facilities to almost 900 students. Over a decade of collaboration, four schools have been upgraded in Hau Giang province, two in Tra Vinh, one in An Giang and one Dong Nai, all equipped with modern classrooms, playgrounds, and essential facilities.
Erick Contreras, Managing Director of BASF Vietnam, shared: “Offering safe and inspiring school environments to children in remote areas is one of our key contributions to Vietnam, enhancing access to education, thus their future success. As we look back over the 10 years of the program, we are proud to receive joint commitment and significant support by all the partners and volunteers, which is crucial to make it long-lasting and value-adding for the community.”
The Phuong Ninh Primary and Secondary School is located approximately 250 km from Ho Chi Minh City in a remote district of Hau Giang province*, where around 65% of the local population works in agriculture, and the average income per capita is about VND 5 million (approximately USD 200**) per month. The existing school facility, constructed in the 1990s, has been in a worsening condition, posing challenges for the students, especially during the rains and flooding season.
The school has now been rebuilt thanks to sponsorship from BASF, individual donors and other organizations, including:
- Hexachem – a distributor of chemical additives for the plastics sector.
- MKVN Chemicals – a part of Azelis, a distributor of personal care, home care chemicals, and other functional products.
- Sam Chem Sphere – a distributor of industrial chemicals, industrial lubricants, fleet lubricants, and waterproofing materials.
- Tam Tran Co. – a distributor of basic chemicals for paints, inks, and plastics.
In addition, the new classrooms utilize products that meet Green Label Certifications sponsored by Nippon Paint Việt Nam. The decorative paints, using raw materials supplied by BASF, provide long-term benefits in health, safety, and energy efficiency.
“We are very delighted to be part of this program since its establishment, offering a better place for students to learn and grow. I believe that in the future, when they grow up and succeed, they will undertake similar initiatives in their community. With the joint efforts from BASF, Saigon Children’s Charity, and other partners, we at Nippon Paint will continue to build more schools and improve not only the study environment but also living conditions for the students and the community.” Ee Soon Hean, General Director said.
The program is facilitated by Saigon Children’s Charity CIO (saigonchildren) with over 30 years of experience. Damien Roberts, Executive Director, said: “Through our School Building Programme, we provide children in remote areas with safe classrooms, libraries, playgrounds, and proper sanitation. We deeply appreciate our 10-year partnership with BASF and co-sponsors, whose commitment to education in Vietnam has transformed thousands of lives. This milestone reflects our shared vision of empowering young minds, and we look forward to continuing this meaningful journey.“
Looking ahead, Erick Contreras shared: “We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone involved for joining efforts to nurture the next generation. We are committed to contributing to Vietnam’s education development as we celebrate 10 years – 8 schools – 900 students – and counting.”
BASF Vietnam has also engaged in different long-term community projects focusing on educational development. BASF Kids’ Lab, in partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education & Training, offers hands-on activities to help children learn about chemistry, benefiting around 5,000 primary students since 2011. BASF Virtual Lab, an online platform, provides a variety of interactive chemistry experiments in Vietnamese, now offering 14 virtual experiments for primary students to learn about chemistry with just a few clicks. Since 2019, the company has partnered with Think Playgrounds to build eight public playgrounds, mostly on the outskirts of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, helping almost 32,000 children learn through play and develop multiple skills through outdoor activities.
* Figures and information provided by the Statistical Yearbook 2015 and 2016.
** Figures and information provided by the Statistical Yearbook 2022
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.
About BASF in Vietnam
BASF has been active in Vietnam since the establishment of its representative office in 1994. BASF Vietnam Limited was set up in 2009. The company maintains two sales offices in Hồ Chí Minh City and Hà Nội, offering solutions for Vietnam’s key industries, including Agriculture, Construction, Automotive, Footwear, Paints & Coatings and Electrical & Electronics. BASF’s sales to customers in Vietnam were approximately €267 million in 2024. BASF employed 110 people in Vietnam as of the end of the year.
Further information on BASF in Vietnam is available at www.basf.com/vn.
