Cargill Opens 58th Cargill Cares School in Vietnam

BINH DINH, VietnamCargill unveiled the Phu Hoa Kindergarten in Tay Son Binh Dinh province under the umbrella of Cargill Cares, an ongoing employee-led initiative which began in 1997. The new kindergarten, which opened April 1, brings the total number of Cargill Cares Schools in Vietnam to 58.

Education is one of the pillars of Cargills community giving programs. The company strives to provide access to kindergarten and primary education for children from low-income families in rural communities. Cargill has a long-term goal to build 75 such schools in Vietnam by 2015 to educate some 17,000 students. To date, Cargills employees, suppliers and customers have raised $3 million that has enabled more than 13,000 Vietnamese children to attend schools built by the company in 41 provinces across the country.

The Phu Hoa Kindergarten will benefit 200 students from low-income families whose lives Cargill hopes to enrich through early childhood education. Fitted with three classrooms, a staff room, utilities and a kitchen, the children will be taught basic skills like reading, spelling and counting, and engage in fun group activities.

Cargill Cares Schools demonstrates our pledge to investing in the education of these rural children who are the key to the future. We will continue to work with Cargill employees, and Cargill Cares Councils to implement our educational initiatives in rural Vietnam," Chanh Truong, country head of Cargill Vietnam said.