On Wednesday, the Da Nang Study Encouragement Association held a ceremony to celebrate its 25^th birthday and to mark the 20^th founding anniversary of the Viet Nam Association for Promoting Education (VAPE).

Deputy Secretary Tri (right) presenting the joint laudatory banner to a representative from the municipal Study Encouragement Association

The Vice Chairman of VAPE cum Chairman of the municipal Study Encouragement Association, Mr Tran Dinh Lien, highlighted the significance of study encouragement activities in promoting the city’s lifelong learning movement.

Mr Lien proudly remarked, “Over the past 25 years, a total of over 150 billion VND has been raised by the city’s Study Encouragement Association and its member organisations at grass-roots levels.  Of this figure, 105 billion VND has been donated by local organisations and residents, 30 billion VND came from international non-governmental organisations, whilst the remaining 15 billion VND was from businesses from both inside and outside the city.  The money raised has been used to donate learning tools for poor pupils, present scholarships to poor studious pupils, and give gifts to those with good academic results”.

Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Vo Cong Tri praised the Association and its members for their great efforts in ensuring the effective implementation of the city’s study encouragement programmes over past years.  He remarked that this has helped to make Da Nang one of the Vietnamese localities with the lowest number of pupils dropping out of school due to poverty.

Deputy Secretary Tri stressed the need for the Association to promote innovations in its operational activities and to appeal for all local residents and overseas Vietnamese people to get involved in study encouragement activities.

The city leader took the opportunity to thank generous domestic and foreign organisations, businesses, and individuals for their kind support of the study encouragement programmes over recent years.  He hoped that even more assistance would be given to such programmes in the years ahead.

To mark the occasion, the Association was awarded a joint laudatory banner by Da Nang’s Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee, and Fatherland Front Committee. The banner features the written words ‘Promoting Unity, Innovations, Activeness, and Creativity for Study and Talent Encouragement to Build Da Nang into a City of Study’.

The Association also received an Excellent Emulation Flag from VAPE in recognition of its outstanding achievements over the 1996 - 2016 period.

Also at the event, 77 individuals were awarded commemorative medals in honour of their active involvement in local study encouragement activities.  In addition, 27 groups and individuals received Certificates of Merit from VAPE, and 12 other groups and individuals were given Certificates of Merit by the municipal People's Committee Chairman Huynh Duc Tho in recognition of their outstanding achievements.