Cargill Builds 80th School in Vietnam

Cargill opened its 80th school in Vietnam on March 17, 2017, edging closer to its goal of building 100 schools in the country by 2020. The new school, Tra Thi Cut elementary school, situated in the Ben Tre Province (Binh Dai District, Thanh Phuoc Commune, Tan An Hamlet) will provide elementary education to 100 students in a conducive and safe environment, and a better working environment for teachers. Cargill plans to open another four schools by the end of 2017.

Cargill invested US$50,000 (VND1.15 billion) in the construction of Tra Thi Cut elementary school which comprises three classrooms, restrooms, and a school yard. Previously named Thanh Phuoc A elementary school, the school had not seen any renovation since it was built back in 1994.

Huynh Thi Ung, principal of Tra Thi Cut elementary school, said: “A big thank you to Cargill as having these three new classrooms and rest room area at Tan Ap school branch is a huge relief for us. Before this, the conditions were very challenging for both teachers and students because of the deteriorating infrastructure and poor equipment. In fact, the situation was so bad that we were often not able to teach during bad weather. This new school resolves all these problems and I can proudly say that we now have the ability to teach our students in a fantastic environment. Both teachers and students are greatly motivated to come in every day.”

Cargill’s school building program was established in 1997 to support students in agricultural communities in rural Vietnam. It is aimed at providing students access to quality education in a safe and conducive environment. The program is part of the Cargill Cares Council which is completely employee-led. Cargill employees invest time and effort to raise the funds and to provide logistical and administrative support including working with local architects, applying for licenses and managing the construction of the schools.

Funds come from Cargill customers, partners and employees. Since 1997, about US$4 million (VND90 billion) has been raised to build schools that now provide quality education to more than 13,000 students across 46 provinces every year.

Jorge Becerra, Country Representative for Cargill Vietnam, said, “We are incredibly proud to have reached our 80th school milestone after 22 years of hard work. We are all very fortunate to be part of Cargill where 'helping the world thrive' is not a slogan but a cornerstone of how we run our business. This has allowed us to contribute to improving educational infrastructure for thousands of rural students across Vietnam, helping them have a better life. We believe in the philosophy of moving forward by supporting the communities where we have the privilege to work and live. Vietnam has been home to Cargill for the last 22 years; together with our employees, customers and suppliers, we are strongly committed to supporting our country’s future leaders and ensuring that Vietnam thrives”.

About Cargill
​Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 150,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.