The new kitchen at Na Chac campus in the northern mountainous Tuyen Quang Province began serving meals on Nov. 11, replacing a makeshift structure built from corrugated iron and scrap wood more than two decades ago.
Located more than 20 kilometers from the center of Na Hang along steep hillside roads, the campus has nearly 40 children, most from the Dao ethnic community. Many live several kilometers away along forest trails, making boarding meals essential to their ability to attend school.
Principal Hoang Thi Hang said parents and teachers built the old kitchen in 2003. Over the years, its roof developed holes and its wooden walls rotted in the damp conditions.
"We had to keep patching the roof just to keep the rain and heat out, because there was never any money for a new kitchen," Hang said. "In winter the cold wind blew in from every direction, the food went cold the moment it was cooked, and we were always worried about mold and termites affecting food safety."
The new kitchen and the old kitchen at at Na Chac campus of Na Hang Kindergarten in Tuyen Quang Province.<\/p>"'>
Hope Foundation partnered with Honda Trading Vietnam Co., Ltd. to fund the replacement facility, with sponsorship totaling VND274 million (US$10,670). The funding covered construction and kitchen equipment, including an industrial rice cooker, gas stoves, pots, pans, a food processor, sinks and stainless-steel racks.
The kitchen is designed with a one-way workflow to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
At the inauguration ceremony, Takahashi Ryo, general director of Honda Trading Vietnam, said the facility would help improve daily meals for children in the remote community.
"Through this project we want to express care and solidarity, hoping to bring meaningful change for the children," Ryo said. "With a new kitchen, they will have more nutritious meals."
He also said he hoped the project would encourage teachers to remain in remote communities and motivate children to attend school regularly.
The sponsors presented gifts to the children and joined teachers and students in a traditional stilt dance.
Representatives from Hope Foundation, sponsors and school officials cut the ribbon to inaugurate the new kitchen on Nov. 11, 2026.
Trieu Thi May, 34, the school's cook, said families had long been concerned about the condition of the old kitchen but could only help with temporary repairs because of financial difficulties.
"Now seeing this solid brick kitchen, clean and sturdy, everyone in the village is happy. When children eat well and safely at school, parents can feel at ease working in the fields," she said.
Before the Na Chac project, Hope Foundation had worked with sponsors and local authorities to build a boarding kitchen at Na Chao satellite campus of Na Hang Kindergarten.
This is the second year Honda Trading Vietnam has partnered with the foundation, following a school improvement project in Son La.
Honda Trading Vietnam presents gifts to children at Na Chac campus of Na Hang Kindergarten on Nov. 11, 2026.
The projects are part of Hope Foundation's "School of Sunshine" program, launched in 2018 to improve facilities at schools in remote and disadvantaged areas.
The program has built or renovated more than 760 school sites nationwide, benefiting hundreds of thousands of students and teachers.
Readers can support the School of Sunshine program here.