The U.S. group Monsanto and the US.-based Room to Read has announced a cooperation program worth VND3.2 billion (roughly US$150,000) to improve education and gender equality for children of farmers in Vietnam. The Monsanto group is a giant in the agriculture business while Room to Read is an international non-government organization operating in the field of offering education support.

The joint program of the two organizations is expected to help improve the ability and love of reading among students at the elementary level through the establishment of libraries and book publishers.

It will also help give secondary education to hundreds of girls and equip them with necessary life kills.

The partnership will be extended from northern Vietnam (Thai Nguyen province) to the central region (Binh Dinh province) and the southern region (Long An and Tra Vinh provinces). So far Vietnam has successfully implemented the universalization of elementary education and is trying its best to reduce gender inequality. However, in more remote areas, especially in areas where ethnic minority people live, the situation has not improved radically, so cooperation between many organizations, individuals and societies is needed to improve it.

The funding from Monsanto Fund will be divided into two programs: one for educational support for school girls and the other for language training for elementary students.

Specifically, the language program for elementary students will be implemented through the building of reading skills and love for reading for more than 60,000 primary students, and the establishment of eight libraries and publication of two books intended for children.

Meanwhile, the educational assistance program for school girls will provide about 175 school girls from low-income farming families with financial support, means for studying, training on life skills, and vocational orientation training.

Education is a particularly important work, so the program is committed to supporting farmers and their families to improve their lives as well as helping their children to have access to education, according to Mr. Juan Farinati, Monsanto vice president for Asia Pacific.

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