Prudential Vietnam has said it will fund about 11 billion VND (500,000 USD) to build 10 kindergartens and primary schools for poor children in the central and southern provinces in 2014.

The beneficiaries are from Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Ca Mau where learning conditions are very poor.

Meanwhile, the Cargill Cares foundation of the Cargill Vietnam Ltd. Co. under the US-based Cargill Corporation collected 4.5 billion VND (211,500 USD) from a single charity event on August 2 for its building of schools in far-flung areas nationwide.

Established in 1996, the Cargill Cares Foundation has so far gathered 66 billion VND (3.1 million USD), supporting the construction of 67 schools in rural and remote areas across the country. The foundation is striving to accomplish its goal of building 75 schools nationwide by 2015.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, there are more than 200,000 children in Vietnam each year forced to quit school. One of the key reasons is that they live too far away from school, with many from remote and mountainous areas having to walk around 5-10 km or even further to reach their school.-VNA