A schoolboy enjoys collecting clean water from a new installed filter system at a school in rural area of Quảng Nam Province. Lifestart Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation from Australia, has recently donated ten more clean water filtration systems and water tanks to ten underprivileged schools in the mountainous area. Photo courtesy of Lifestart Foundation

QUẢNG NAM — Lifestart Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Hội An and originating from Australia, has recently donated ten more clean water filtration systems and water tanks to ten underprivileged schools in mountainous areas of the central province Quảng Nam.

This latest initiative targets schools in the rural mountainous districts of Phước Sơn, Quế Sơn, and Thăng Bình, of which six schools are in Phước Sơn and three other schools in Quế Sơn and a Secondary School in Thăng Bình district, also received support.

Many of these schools, especially in Phước Sơn, serve predominantly students from the Giẻ Triêng ethnic group  and are situated in remote and challenged areas. Among them, five of the communes are designated in the extremely disadvantaged region.

Access to clean water remains a major challenge for many mountainous schools in the province. Some rely on bottled water purchased by schools or funded by students' families, and others require students to bring water from home. Due to limited financial resources, these schools often cannot afford to invest in safe drinking water infrastructure.

The newly installed water filtration systems will directly benefit over 2,200 students, teachers, and staff members during this school year.

Each system, valued at up to VNĐ66.4 million (US$2,740), can purify up to 250 litres per hour and is capable of removing bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and other contaminants.

Many are paired with 500-litre storage tanks to ensure a continuous water supply, with the total cost of this round of installations exceeding VNĐ472 million (more than $19,500).

Since launching the clean water initiative in 2021, Lifestart Foundation has provided 48 water filtration systems to disadvantaged schools across Quảng Nam province – amounting to over VNĐ2.2 billion ($90,000) in donations. The programme has benefitted more than 12,400 students, families and school staff to date.

A student drinks water from a clean water filtration system at school in rural mountainous region of Quảng Nam. Photo courtesy of Lifestart Foundation

Karen Leonard OAM (Order of Australia Medal), Founder of Lifestart Foundation, said: "The lack of clean drinking water in schools, especially in remote and mountainous areas, continues to affect the health and daily routines of students and teachers - particularly those in boarding schools.

"Understanding that access to safe water is essential for learning and well-being, Lifestart Foundation is committed to supporting schools in disadvantaged communities. By installing water filtration systems, we aim to improve the health and educational environment for students and staff alike, helping them focus more on their studies and daily activities in a safer, more supportive setting.”

Chairman of the Quảng Nam Province Union of Friendship Organisations, Trần Văn Mai, noted: "Lifestart Foundation’s support in providing clean water filtration systems is both timely and meaningful. We hope that the recipient schools will manage and maintain these systems well to ensure long-lasting benefits. We expressed thanks to Lifestart Foundation for their generous and thoughtful contribution.”

The Principal of Quế Xuân 1 Primary School Nguyễn Văn Lanh, said: "Until now, our students had to bring drinking water from home, due to the shortage of clean water source on campus. We are sincerely grateful to Lifestart Foundation for this generous support, which ensures our students now have access to safe water daily. We are committed to maintaining the system for long-term use."

Lifestart Foundation’s ongoing commitment to vulnerable communities in central Việt Nam – especially children – continues to drive meaningful, lasting change.

The organisation plans to donate an additional ten systems in the near future, bringing the total number of supported schools to 58.

Lifestart Foundation said it has donated VNĐ33 billion ($1.28 million) to support the disadvantaged young people in the central region including education scholarships for underprivileged students and housing improvement projects. — VNS