Mastercard and VPBank Join Hands in “Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures” Initiative to Support Disadvantaged Children in Vietnam

On October 9, 2023, Mastercard and VPBank announced a joint philanthropic initiative “Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures” to empower Vietnam’s next generation, which was kicked off with the Mastercard Kids Run 2023 in Hanoi on Saturday, October 7. This new initiative, with support from VPBank Mastercard cardholders, aims to provide funds to ‘The Loving Leaves’ program through Vietnam Charity Fund to build 10 schools, kitchens, buy school supplies, and food packages for underprivileged children in remote areas in Vietnam.

Due to difficult socio-economic conditions, children from ethnic minority communities in Vietnam still face many difficulties on their journey to access education, lack access to essential educational facilities such as well-constructed and equipped schools within walking distance, books, or other learning materials, which pose significant obstacles to their study. With those challenges in mind, Mastercard and VPBank have co-operated to launch the "Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures” initiative, aiming to provide funding to support and foster a sustainable educational journey for underprivileged children.

Specifically, for every transaction of 300,000 VND or above made with a VPBank Mastercard debit or credit card during the months of October and November 2023, Mastercard will contribute 7,100 VND to the initiative’s fund. It will then be donated through the Vietnam Charity Fund to ‘The Loving Leaves’, a long-running philanthropic program by the Vietnam Television (VTV), who will conduct on-site assessments at different local areas in need and connect them to the initiative for school construction or renovation.

Mastercard and VPBank join hands in “Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures” initiative to support disadvantaged children in rural Vietnam

“With our vision and mission set on contributing to the sustainable development and prosperity of Vietnam, we understand the importance of nurturing the future generation. We have been a consistent partner with ‘The Loving Leaves’ program, to build 30 schools in the past year, and we are now delighted to extend this collaboration to our like-minded strategic partner Mastercard with confidence that together we can upgrade the learning conditions and facilities in remote parts of the country and ultimately, benefit and empower disadvantaged children to unleash their potential with essential education,” said Nguyen Thuy Duong, Head of Marketing and Communications Center, VPBank.

“Mastercard is committed to its philosophy of Doing Well by Doing Good, which remains the guiding principle in how it supports the people, communities, and environments in which it operates. Recognizing that education is fundamental to driving inclusive societies, Mastercard is delighted to join hands with VPBank in the "Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures" initiative, bringing underprivileged children better access, conditions and resources to learn and gain opportunities for a brighter future. This initiative not only gives young children the opportunity to reach their full potential, but also allows cardholders to make an impact to the lives of underprivileged students,” said Winnie Wong, Country Manager, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, Mastercard. “Looking towards the future, both partners intend to further explore collaborative opportunities, leveraging the resources and technology to better support individuals and communities in need.”

The Mastercard Kids Run 2023 is the kickoff event of the joint initiative “Nurturing Hope, Empowering Futures” between Mastercard and VPBank

United by their shared commitment to positively impact and benefit the local communities and society at large, Mastercard and VPBank this year have come together with a common goal to create more opportunities for the generations of tomorrow to grow and develop, starting with the Mastercard Kids Run on Saturday, October 7, which attracted more than 500 participating children and over 10,000 spectators. The 600m-long race, held in the Hoan Kiem Lake area, not only allowed young participants to explore the capital city’s historical landmarks but also helped to nurture essential personal development skills and healthy fitness habits that will shape their physical growth and lifestyle for the future.

The partnership is part of Mastercard’s Priceless Causes global platform. Designed to bring people, businesses, and opportunities together, Mastercard has been extending its humanitarian reach through programs, such as building digital immunization records for children in the poorest countries, supporting nearly 40,000 young people in Africa to pursue secondary or tertiary education since 2012 through Scholar Program or inspiring girls in Tech.

B.H (Vietnam Business Forum)