The Binh Thanh 2 Primary School, which was unroofed due to natural disasters last year, will be renovated under the post-disaster recovery program jointly implemented by Habitat for Humanity Vietnam and the GE Foundation - PHOTO: GE FOUNDATION

HCMC - The nonprofit Habitat for Humanity Vietnam and the GE Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by GE, have announced a collaboration to support a post-disaster recovery program in the south-central province of Quang Ngai, which was hit hard by floods and landslides last year.

The Binh Thanh 2 and Binh Nguyen primary schools in Binh Son District, one of the worst victims of the historic floods and landslides in 2020, will benefit from this funding with renovated and rebuilt facilities.

GE Foundation donated US$73,000 in aid to the program. Over the past four months, Habitat for Humanity Vietnam and GE Foundation have renovated 10 existing classrooms, installed a better electricity system and built new and accessible latrines for school children.

The funding will provide better learning facilities for nearly 900 children and teachers in both schools. Staff from the local Department of Education and Training and the school management board members also participated in implementing these activities.

“We believe good-quality school infrastructure is a crucial factor for the academic performance of students. Additionally, making schools conducive and ready to serve the future needs of community evacuation will help with community preparedness,” said Bells Regino-Borja, national director of Habitat for Humanity Vietnam.

“At GE, we draw on our people, technology and local partners to reduce suffering and hasten the recovery caused by natural disasters. Thanks to support from Habitat for Humanity Vietnam, we hope the renovation will help students get back to the classroom quickly and make these schools more resilient well into the future,” said David Barash, executive director of GE Foundation.

After the 2020 flooding and landslides, Quang Ngai was one of the worst-affected provinces with over 140,000 damaged houses, 450 unroofed schools and nearly 1,000 hectares of submerged crops. After one year, many schools in Quang Ngai still suffer from poor classroom conditions and sanitation.