With the steadfast support of the “For a Green Future” Foundation – Vingroup, thousands of student volunteers participating in the 2025 Green Summer Campaign have helped construct clean water systems and sanitation facilities for remote mountainous schools across Vietnam. 

These efforts are making a tangible contribution to improving student health and enhancing educational quality in underserved communities.

Clean Water Arrives, Brighter Futures Follow

At satellite school sites such as Pom Khuông (Tam Chung Commune, Thanh Hóa Province) and Suối Cái (Quan Sơn Commune, Lạng Sơn Province), access to clean water was once a distant luxury. Each morning, teachers had to fetch water from nearby households or even walk 500 meters to a river, just to wash their hands. Drinking water had to be carried from home, while young children had no access to toilets and were forced to use nearby fields, forests, or behind villagers’ homes.

At Pom Khuông, a branch of Tam Chung Kindergarten, learning conditions were once among the most limited in the commune, with severe shortages in basic infrastructure, especially water, making daily teaching and learning a persistent challenge.

“Because the children are so young, every trip to the toilet required a teacher to accompany them, one stayed in class while another took them out,” shared Ms. Hà Thị Nga, a teacher at Pom Khuông. “Now, with access to clean water, cooking and sanitation have become much easier and safer. The children are also far more excited about coming to school.”

Located in steep, mountainous terrain far from natural water sources, maintaining a stable water supply had long been a major obstacle. Previously, the school relied on a temporary pipeline from nearby households, with narrow pipes insufficient to meet daily needs. On days when water was scarce, cooking became impossible. Teachers had to wake early to prepare meals and transport lunch over a 25-kilometer journey to ensure students could eat by 9:30 a.m.

Today, the transformation is evident, not only for teachers but also for parents. “My child used to suffer from stomach aches and skin irritation due to unsafe water. Now that clean water is available at school, I feel truly reassured,” said Nguyễn Thị Mười, a parent from Suối Cái.

Volunteer students from the University of Natural Resources and Environment are carrying out community projects that help improve local living environments for residents.

This remarkable change has been made possible through a series of projects funded by the For a Green Future Foundation, in collaboration with the Youth Union of Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment. During the summer of 2025, four sanitation facilities, three clean water systems, and seven school landscape improvement projects, including playgrounds and mural paintings, have been completed or are nearing completion, significantly improving learning and living conditions for hundreds of students in remote areas.

Green Volunteering – Sowing New Life in Remote Regions

From carrying water pipes and mixing concrete to installing sanitation equipment, thousands of student volunteers from 33 universities and organizations participating in the Green Summer Campaign 2025 have left a lasting impact on these communities.

“When the project at Suối Cái was completed, emotions ran high. Teachers held our hands, expressed their gratitude, and embraced the entire volunteer team,” recalled Trần Tố Uyên, a student from Hanoi University of Culture.

At Pom Khuông, teachers and students will no longer face chronic water shortages, as clean water has now been piped directly from nearby villages and storage systems have been installed. A stable water supply not only improves daily living conditions but also reshapes the school environment as a whole.

Beyond providing essential infrastructure, these initiatives are also fostering environmental awareness among students. “The children have learned to sort waste and avoid littering after meals,” said Ms. Vũ Thị Hồng, Principal of Tràng Xá Primary School in Thái Nguyên Province. “In addition to academic knowledge, they are gaining life skills and learning how to respect their environment.”

The Green Summer Campaign 2025 stands as one of the flagship community initiatives supported by the For a Green Future Foundation, an organization established by Vingroup with a mission to contribute to Vietnam’s net-zero emissions goal by 2050.

“There is a clear need for organizations like the For a Green Future Foundation to connect universities and provide structured, actionable direction,” noted Nguyễn Chính Nghĩa, Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. “This is how community initiatives can move beyond short-term movements and create sustainable, long-term impact, contributing meaningfully to the country’s green development journey.”