The Vietnam Children Sponsor Fund and the Bao Viet Life Insurance Corporation signed a cooperation agreement in Hanoi on June 16 to grant 1,200 bicycles to poor children to support them in pursuing education.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan said about 200,000 Vietnamese students forced to quit school each year.

One of the reasons is that they live too far away from school, with many having to walk around 5-10 km or even further to reach their school, she added.

After 10 years of cooperation, via the Vietnam Children Sponsor Fund, the Bao Viet company has granted nearly 9,000 scholarships and 12,000 gift packages worth nearly 7 billion VND (324,800 USD) to needy children across the country.-VNA