Poor schools access to drinkable water in new school year

Children get clean drinkable water at a kindergarten in the central Quảng Nam Province. Lifestart Foundation, a non-profit Organisation based in Hội An City and originating from Australia, has provided ten clean water filtration systems and water tanks to underprivileged schools in the province. Photo courtesy of Lifestart Foundation

QUẢNG NAM—Lifestart Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Hội An City and originating from Australia, has provided ten clean water filtration systems and water tanks to underprivileged schools in the mountainous Bắc Trà My and Phước Sơn districts of the central Quảng Nam Province.

The schools, predominantly attended by students from the Ca Dong ethnic group, are situated in challenging areas including four extremely poor communes Trà Nú, Trà Ka, Trà Bui, Phước Kim, Trà Tân, Trà My and Khâm Đức Town.

The systems will provide drinkable clean water at the tap for nearly 2,000 school students and teachers in the academic year 2024-2025.

The clean water project is an annual endeavour undertaken by the foundation in the province since 2021.

To date, the clean water project has facilitated 38 water treatment systems for various disadvantaged schools, totalling over VNĐ1.75 billion (US$70,000). This initiative ensures the availability of safe clean drinking water for students, teachers, and staff at schools, addressing the fundamental clean water needs of individuals in challenging areas and benefiting over 10,200 people directly throughout the years of project implementation.

Karen Leonard, the founder of Lifestart Foundation, said: “Given the current scarcity of clean water, ensuring the quality of drinking water for students in disadvantaged areas is an urgent matter. The Lifestart Foundation has elected to sponsor water treatment systems as a pivotal project.

”The programme supporting water treatment systems by the Lifestart Foundation not only provides safe drinking water for students but also extends free support to teachers and school staff. This contributes to enhancing the health and learning quality of students, improving the quality of work for teachers and staff at the school, while diminishing the risk of gastrointestinal and other infectious diseases.”

A hand-over of a clean water system for a kindergarten school at Trà Bui commune of Quảng Nam Province. Photo courtesy of Lifestart Foundation

Vice Chairman of the Quảng Nam Province Union of Friendship Organisations, Trần Văn Mai added that the lack of drinking water filtration systems in schools impacts the daily activities of students and school staff and the systems from the Lifestart Foundation were very helpful and meaningful.

Nguyễn Thị Nhật Kiều, Principal of Sơn Ca Kindergarten in Khâm Đức town in Phước Sơn district said the school is very happy with the water filtration system supported by the Lifestart Foundation.

In 2025, the organisation plans to donate an additional ten drinking water filtration systems to schools in the more disadvantaged mountainous districts of the province, increasing the total number of schools to benefit to 48.

Lifestart Foundation also provided support in the form of 25 gift packages comprising essential items worth a total of VNĐ10 million for 25 poor children at Hoạ My Kindergarten in Tân Hiệp A School in Trà Sơn commune in Bắc Trà My district

Lifestart Foundation said it has donated VNĐ33 billion (approximately 2 million AUD, or $1.28 million) to support the disadvantaged young people in the central region including education scholarships for underprivileged students and housing improvement projects. VNS