The Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) scholarship fund will earmark VND2 billion scholarships to primary school children and to upgrade primary school facilities in the 2010-2011 academic year. At a press briefing in Hanoi on Nov. 30, Vinamilk representatives said the company will spend VND1 billion to provide scholarships, each worth VND1 million, to 1,000 primary school children. The remainder of the donation will be used to build primary school libraries, especially in disadvantaged provinces such as the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai. The fund plans to organize a contest themed, “Vinamilk seeks Vietnamese talents” in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, central Danang city and the Mekong delta City of Can Tho from March until the end of June next year. Fifty students entering the final round of the contest will receive scholarships, each worth VND5 million. Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thi Nghia emphasized the necessity to encourage businesses to become involved in social activities, particularly in education, like Vinamilk. Activities to promote education development in Vietnam are intended to help children demonstrate and bring into play their own talents, she added. The Vinamilk scholarship fund recently presented 200 scholarships to children in the central flood-stricken provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh. Vinamilk Executive Director Nguyen Huu Ngoc Tran said that the company has provided VND16 billion to the fund since it was set up in 2002. (vietnamplus.vn Nov 30)
