In 2009, VRE is building and upgrading 12 classrooms in needy communities in Vietnam.

We're excited to be teaming with Deloitte LLP in VRE's "Sponsor A School" initiative. This effort allows corporations or individuals to fund an entire school and follow the project from its beginning to its completion. This year, Deloitte LLP and its partners and employees have generously agreed to sponsor the construction of 3 classrooms in Que Tho commune, Quang Nam province, in central Vietnam. VRE will be helping to upgrade another 3 classrooms in the area.

In total, these six classrooms will benefit more than 1,200 children in a war-ravaged area marked by orphans and Agent Orange victims.

VRE has also begun constructing 3 new classrooms in Tuong Loc commune in Vinh Long province, which lies along the Mekong Delta. The schools we’re replacing have leaky roofs and unstable foundations. Twenty percent of area children are malnourished, and only 25% of the community has access to clean water. VRE is planning on building another 3 classrooms in Tuong Loc next year to alleviate overcrowding.

In addition, VRE has committed to building 3 new classrooms in Don Xuan commune in southern Vietnam’s Tra Vinh province. The new school will replace a structure riddled with asbestos and whose roof was made of palm leaves.

This year, VRE is also funding 250 scholarships for children at its schools in Long An and Phu Yen provinces. These scholarships provide 10 kg of rice each month for the students' families, and provide children with books and uniforms. For students who live further than 3 kilometers away, VRE donates much-needed bicycles to make their commutes easier.