FPT is the largest technology corporation in Vietnam and also the only private firm to establish two charity funds for the community, namely the Hope Fund and the FPT Community Fund. Over the decades, through these funds, FPT has implemented numerous volunteer programs nationwide, benefiting millions of people across the country.
Building schools and public restrooms
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the FPT Corporation brought meaningful gifts to the people of the historic Dien Bien Province. Specifically, on April 27, FPT, via its Hope Fund and in collaboration with VnExpress news site, inaugurated two public facilities at two squares in Dien Bien. These facilities consist of two buildings, each with two floors: the first floor houses public restrooms, and the second floor provides rest and refreshment areas, with a total construction cost of VND1.5 billion.
Two years ago, FPT and the Hope Fund began a program to build public restrooms in various areas because they recognized it as a necessary and civilized need for a developing society while many localities lacked such facilities.
The idea of building public restrooms was conceived by Truong Thi Thanh Thanh, a member of the Board of Founders, Director of FPT’s Social Responsibility Department, and Chairwoman of the Hope Fund. She emphasized the importance of restrooms not only for locals but also for tourists.
FPT believes that constructing public restrooms is significant for Dien Bien Phu City. Such projects contribute to fostering environmental sanitation habits among the people. Combining public restrooms with coffee shops provides additional jobs for locals, instead of merely standalone restrooms. This combination also generates additional funds and manpower for sustainable maintenance.
Mrs. Thanh stated that after completing the construction of restrooms in Muong Nhe District of Dien Bien Province last year, FPT realized that for Dien Bien Phu City to develop, tourism must be a top priority. In this regard, internet access and public restrooms are crucial. Therefore, over the past year, FPT has supported Dien Bien Phu in deploying five free Wi-Fi spots and now inaugurated two public restrooms. This could serve as a model for many other cities, and FPT will strive to replicate this model nationwide.
In addition to these activities, over the past six years, FPT Corporation and the Hope Fund have embarked on a journey across the country to build schools in remote areas.
Immediately after the inauguration of public facilities in Dien Bien Phu Square, representatives of FPT and the Hope Fund continued to travel to two school locations in Dien Bien Province.
At the Xa Vua B Kindergarten (Phinh Giang Commune, Dien Bien Dong District), FPT and the Hope Fund inaugurated two newly built classrooms with enclosed restrooms, serving 80 minority children. Additionally, the FPT Community Fund donated teaching supplies and gifts to the students.
Dien Bien Dong is the poorest district in the country, with a poverty rate exceeding 40%. Phinh Giang is not the poorest commune in the district, but it is a sparsely populated area, with some villages being more than 18 kilometers away from the commune center, posing significant challenges for the local education sector.
At the Keo Nghiu Primary School (Pa Khoang Commune, Dien Bien Phu City), the FPT team helped repaint the school and provided three e-libraries. Additionally, the FPT Community Fund presented teaching aids and gifts to the students.
Not only in Dien Bien Province, in early March, FPT and the Hope Fund inaugurated the Hang De Sua Kindergarten in a poverty-stricken commune in Mu Cang Chai District, Yen Bai Province. Two classrooms of the kindergarten have recently been swept away by floods.
All students at the school are H’Mong ethnic minority. The project, valued at nearly VND1 billion, included two classrooms with enclosed restrooms covering nearly 140 square meters, and a 40-square-meter kitchen. The Hope Fund and FPT Corporation contributed over VND730 million to the project.
Also, during the inauguration ceremony, the FPT Community Fund donated an outdoor playground and electric fans to students and teachers at the aforementioned school.
The construction of these schools is part of the “School Lights” program implemented by the Hope Fund since 2018. To date, over 30 new school sites with hundreds of classrooms and dormitories have been built in Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Son La, Dien Bien, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Quang Nam, Phu Yen, and Binh Phuoc. Additionally, 100 restrooms have been built for students in Ha Giang, Son La, Dien Bien, and Thai Binh, while 70 old schools have been repainted and 35 e-libraries have been donated to schools in 11 localities nationwide.
To raise funds for the Hang De Sua Kindergarten project, the FPT Corporation organized the “Happy Run” marathon in Danang City in March 2023, attracting over 3,500 participants and raising over VND3.5 billion. This money was also used to sponsor the construction of 20 restrooms at 10 primary and secondary schools in Thai Binh Province, which were inaugurated in December 2023.
Thus, the FPT Corporation and the Hope Fund completed 21 projects at 11 schools, providing nearly 4,000 students and teachers with clean and safe learning environments since the end of 2023 till now 2024.
In 2024, the “School Lights” program aims to build 13 new school facilities, 70 restrooms, repaint 50 schools, and donate 35 e-libraries to children in difficult areas.
In the south of the country, in late December last year, the FPT Corporation and the Hope Fund donated three e-libraries to My Khanh 1 Primary School, Phong Dien Town 1 Primary School in Phong Dien District, and Trung Thanh 2 Kindergarten in Co Do District of Can Tho City.
In 2023, the FPT Corporation sponsored 35 e-libraries, worth VND2.4 billion, benefiting nearly 20,000 students in poverty-stricken districts.
Building 350 bridges in the Mekong Delta
At the end of 2023, the FPT Community Fund, in collaboration with the Hope Fund, commenced work on the 350th bridge in Co Do District in Can Tho City.
With the milestone of Bridge Hope No. 350, FPT via the Hope Fund has become the top sponsor of bridge constructions in Vietnam since 2018. This activity is part of a program initiated by the Hope Fund in 2018 to ensure safe access to school for children in remote areas of the Mekong Delta. These bridges connect inter-communal and inter-village areas, facilitating transportation and trade, and giving the region a new face. In 2023, the program built over 100 facilities for people in the Mekong Delta, with a total construction budget of over VND70 billion from localities, the Hope Fund, and FPT Corporation.
Ms. Truong Thi Thanh Thanh said, “FPT is a technology corporation, and we aim for sustainable development in all activities, including social responsibility. Therefore, FPT chooses to build bridges because long-standing bridges benefit the most people in the long run.”
Mr. Nguyen Van Khoa, CEO of FPT Corporation, said, “FPT chose Can Tho because it is a large city with many people, especially children, facing difficulties in transportation due to the dense canal system. Building bridges is a joint effort of 70,000 FPT employees who have contributed by donating a day’s salary each year for community activities. With FPT’s support, we hope that people will have better transportation routes, and children will go to school safely.”
The FPT Community Fund was established in 2014 and has received active support from FPT employees. With the donated funds, many FPT employees facing serious illnesses have been helped, bridges have been built for remote communities, support has been provided for disaster-stricken areas and difficult schools, dreams have been fulfilled for children to attend school, and hundreds of homes for needy families have been renovated.
