A Vietnamese alumna of Oxford University has established a foundation to construct bridges to facilitate travel in isolated communities in Vietnam. The Nam Phuong Foundation, founded in 2013, is the first philanthropic organization set up by students worldwide for Vietnam. The foundation aims to raise funds to build bridges for small and remote communities, eliminating the need to make unsafe boat journeys. “While watching TV with my family, my younger brother and I were haunted by the news of a student drowning while crossing a river,” Dinh Thi Nam Phuong, the co-founder and Oxford graduate, said when recalling how she came up with the idea of starting the organization. Founded by Phuong and her brother Dinh Ba Khang, the initial focus of the foundation is to build bridges in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. According to the foundation’s website, the working model is based on a partnership arrangement, in which the foundation will contribute 70% of the total cost of a bridge, and the local commune and government cover the rest. This is intended to instill a sense of responsibility as well as achievement in the local people as they will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and ensures that they will appreciate and preserve the bridge for future generations, the website says. Currently, the foundation has constructed 10 bridges in the southern provinces of Tien Giang, Ben Tre, and Long An. (tuoitre.vn Sept 13)
