HCMC – The “Saigon Times – Great Circle – Helping Students Get Back to School Post Storm” program delivered aid to five schools in Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, on October 12 to support students affected by typhoon Yagi.
The storm caused significant damage to the district’s infrastructure and impacted hundreds of students and teachers. According to the Bat Xat Office of Education and Training, 435 teachers, staff, and students were affected by the typhoon. Seven teachers lost their homes, while three students died in A Lu Commune. Ten students were orphaned, and many families lost homes or suffered property damage.
Nguyen Thanh Thi, principal of Sang Ma Sao Primary School, said living conditions were already difficult before the storm. “The landslide flooded the school’s dormitory, covering the first floor with mud and rocks, severely impacting the students,” he said.
The Saigon Times Group, in partnership with the 2030 Business Club, the Saigon Times Market & Real Estate Club (SMRC), and the Branding Club, launched the “Saigon Times – Great Circle – Helping Students Get Back to School Post Storm” to help bring students back to school and support storm-affected schools in their recovery.
The program provided VND50 million in cash and other items to the affected schools, including 750 rice cookers, 100 blankets, four water heaters, sweets and milk, and other food supplies.
Bat Xat was among the areas hardest hit by typhoon Yagi in Lao Cai. Eighteen schools in the district were severely damaged, and the cost of repairs is estimated at over VND90 billion, according to Tran Quang Vinh, deputy head of the district’s education office. He noted that while the loss of life was lower than in other areas, Bat Xat suffered severe material damage. The “Saigon Times – Great Circle program has been a significant source of encouragement for local residents and students,” Vinh said.
