VietNamNet Bridge - The regional initiative continues to make positive educational impact on thousands of primary students in Vietnam in 2018.

Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam, part of the global snacking powerhouse Mondelēz International, launched the company’s flagship social responsibility program and its first “Joy School” in the southern province of Binh Duong in December.

With the launch of the program, which follows the success of the Joy Schools program officially established in Vietnam in 2017, Mondelez Kinh Do continues its mission of improving the long-term wellbeing of the young generation and supporting local communities through meaningful activities implemented at primary schools.

The Joy Schools program, first established in the Philippines and Thailand, expanded to Malaysia and Indonesia in 2016 and Vietnam in 2017. The program has benefitted more than 16,000 students through 65 annual funds in 37 schools. Over 3,900 employees of Mondelēz have contributed over 23,000 volunteer hours.

The nutritional needs of children are different from those of adults because children are growing and developing. Mondelez Kinh Do recognizes that exercise, focus and attention, as well as healthy living habits play an essential role in shaping healthy children and a healthier generation. As the future generation, children need good nutrition to have comprehensive development.

The continuous implementation of the Joy Schools program this year underscores Mondelez Kinh Do’s focus on empowering children to take positive steps towards overall wellbeing. The three key pillars of the Joy Schools program for 2018 are:

Nutrition Education – create nutrition awareness by instilling in students the importance of healthy eating habits and making balanced food choices.

Access to Fresh Food – provide better access to fresh food by empowering schools to grow their own fresh ingredients which is called the Mushroom House.

Active Play – advocate active play by creating an interactive space that promotes physical engagement and collaborative learning among students.

Students engaging with numerous activities from the "Joy Schools" Program 2018.

“As a leading global snacking company, we understand that balanced nutrition and active lifestyle play a key role in kids’ growth, particularly 6-10 year-old children. We hope that Joy School – a regional initiative of Mondelēz International - will promote nutrition awareness, improve active lifestyle, and offer more interesting ways to approach fresh and nutritious food for primary students in Vietnam,” said Mr. Cao Hoang Nam, Corporate and Government Affairs Head of Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam.

For the first time ever, M-hero cartoon character came to play with children in the Binh Nham Primary School for half a day full of exciting activities. Volunteer colleagues also joined the students in a do-it-yourself mushroom planting experience that empowered them to grow fresh produce in their own school backyard, promoting the importance of breakfast.

Furthermore, students also participated in numerous physical development activities such as basketball practice, penalty kick challenge, cheerleading combat, football match, puzzle challenge, ball throwing, and Zumba dance.

In December 2018, Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam was honored to receive an award from the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) for corporate social responsibility (CSR) best practice for the Joy Schools program. With Joy Schools and other CSR activities, as well as thousands of gifts given to underprivileged people nationwide, Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam has proudly supported its communities for years.

Mr. Stephane Gripon (right) receives the Amcham CSR Award 2018 from Mr. Dan Kritenbrink, the US Ambassador to Vietnam.

In the last two year in Vietnam, the Joy School program has benefited approximately 4,000 young students at the two primary schools of Di Su and Ban Yen Nhan 1 in My Hao district, Hung Yen Province. In addition, there were 327 volunteers who joined the program, contributing over 1,308 hours of volunteerism and bringing joy to the students.

All the volunteers who participated in the "Joy Schools" Prorgam in Binh Duong 2018.

PV