Location: Dien Bien Dong District, Dien Bien Province, Vietnam

Target Beneficiaries: 513 students (250 girls, 263 boys), primarily from ethnic minorities such as Hmong and Thai.

Objective:

Improve the living conditions for boarding students by constructing new boarding rooms and additional toilet facilities.

School Background and Challenges:

• Boarding Facilities: 350 students (162 girls) live in six crowded boarding rooms with an average of 58 students per room. The existing rooms are made of corrugated iron sheets, leading to extreme temperatures—hot in summer and cold in winter.
• Sanitation: The school has only 2 toilet rooms with 21 blocks and 2 bathrooms, insufficient for the number of boarding students.
• Poverty and Distance: The poverty rate in the local community is 48.25%, and the school is located 20 km from the district center and 75 km from Dien Bien Phu city. The dropout rate is 8-10% per school year, significantly higher than average.

Project Status:

Current Stage: The project has raised £38,000 (approximately USD 49,000) for construction, but has been delayed due to a recent typhoon. Construction is expected to begin in November and complete by February.

Impact:

• Improved living conditions for students.
• Enhanced hygiene facilities with new toilets and bathrooms.
• Educational stability through better infrastructure, aiming to reduce the dropout rate.
• Community benefit through improved educational environments.

Next Steps:

• Start Date: November 2024 (post-typhoon delays)
• Estimated Completion: February 2025
• Regular updates will be provided throughout the construction period.