A modern computer room was inaugurated in February 2023 at Nui Cam Primary School in An Hao Commune of An Giang Province’s Tinh Bien District, to the surprise and great joy of teachers and students there. The room, equipped with 16 sets of desktops, a main server, a large-size TV set, and Internet connection, was developed by Saigon Children’s Charity at a cost of VND350 million donated by United Overseas Bank (Vietnam) Limited (UOB Vietnam).
In a poverty-stricken area like An Hao Commune in the Mekong Delta, the construction of a modern computer room for a primary school is beyond credible. It has been, however, made possible owing to the Singapore-invested bank’s generous donation, which would help students access information technology from an early age for the better development of their skills and knowledge in the future.
By donating a computer room, the bank said it expected to enhance digital skills for students for a brighter future.
“We believe that digital education is a powerful tool that empowers communities and pave the way for a brighter future for young students. By accompanying the community for this purpose, we want to empower the next generation with essential digital skills, so that they can be future-ready in the digital economy” said Victor Ngo, CEO of UOB Vietnam.
In a sense, in donating the computer room, UOB Vietnam is in the same heartbeat with the community, as the bank itself is vigorously rolling out its digitalization programs to better serve its clients. Interestingly, the fund for building the computer room came from UOB Global Heartbeat Run/Walk 2022, an annual community program initiated by UOB.
Five computer rooms for the Mekong Delta
The UOB Global Heartbeat Run/Walk is an annual flagship volunteering and fundraising event held by UOB across 18 markets globally. The funds raised will be donated to charities around the world to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and vulnerable communities. Since 2007, the UOB Global Heartbeat Run/Walk has raised more than 20 million Singapore dollars to help improve the lives of communities in-need and support causes that are aligned to the bank’s corporate social responsibility focus areas of art, children and education.
In Vietnam, the Heartbeat Run/Walk 2022 was a huge success, raising over VND350 million, with most being transferred to Saigon Children’s Charity to implement the computer room project. The bank’s CEO Victor Ngo said, “We do the right thing for the society by continually supporting the local community development. All UOB employees have shown their sharing spirit by joining the UOB Global Heartbeat Run/Walk.”
Last year’s run/walk event, organized in Phu My Hung new urban center in HCMC’s District 7, attracted over 800 people who were the bank’s employees, customers, partners and their families. This year’s UOB Heartbeat Run/Walk, held in early August at Sala urban area in Thu Duc City, was even more successful, attracting over 2,000 runners and raising VND530 million.
Saigon Children’s Charity as the main beneficiary will use this year’s fund to develop a computer room at Tri Ton Primary School in An Giang Province’s Tri Ton District to benefit 450 students there.
The new computer room being developed is part of a five-year project jointly executed by UOB Vietnam and Saigon Children’s Charity to develop five computer rooms benefiting around 2,000 students in the Mekong Delta.
CEO Victor Ngo of the bank said that “UOB Vietnam is committed to bringing about long-term values for the community where we operate. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the bank’s operations in Vietnam, and we are pleased to work with Saigon Children’s Charity to develop five computer rooms for schools in the Mekong Delta.”
The UOB Global Heartbeat Run/Walk is an integral part of the UOB Heartbeat Corporate Social Responsibility program, dedicated to creating sustainable social good through corporate philanthropy, stakeholder engagement and active employee participation. Over the years, the UOB Heartbeat program has shown its dedication to promoting a more caring and inclusive society across the region. Guided by the Bank’s values of Honour, Enterprise, Unity and Commitment, UOB draws together colleagues, customers and business partners to make a positive difference to our communities.
